I-  r 


The  Germans  cheered  and  laughed,  but  we  made  never  a  sound 


HIRA    SINGH 

WHEN  INDIA  CAME  TO  FIGHT 
IN    FLANDERS 


By   TALBOT  MUNDY 

Author  of 
King— of   the   Khyber    Rifles,    The  Winds  of 
the  World,   etc. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 
J.  CLEMENT  COLL 


McKINLAY,  STONE  &  MACKENZIE 
NEW  YORK 


Copyright  1918 
Th«  Bobbs-Merrill  Company 


c5 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 

AT 

THE  COUNTRY  LIFE  PRESS,  GARDEN  CITY,  N.  T. 


PREFACE 

I  take  leave  to  dedicate  this  book  to  Mr.  Elmer 
Davis,  through  whose  friendly  offices  I  was  led  to 
track  down  the  hero  of  these  adventures  and  to  find 
the  true  account  of  them  even  better  than  the  daily 
paper  promised. 

Had  Ranjoor  Singh  and  his  men  been  Muhamma- 
dans  their  accomplishment  would  have  been  sufficiently 
wonderful.  For  Sikhs  to  attempt  what  they  carried 
through,  even  under  such  splendid  leadership  as  Ran- 
joor Singh's,  was  to  defy  the  very  nth  degree  of  odds. 
To  have  tried  to  tell  the  tale  otherwise  than  in  Hira 
Singh's  own  words  would  have  been  to  varnish  gold. 
Amid  the  echoes  of  the  roar  of  the  guns  in  Flanders, 
the  world  is  inclined  to  overlook  India's  share  in  it  all 
and  the  stout  proud  loyalty  of  Indian  hearts.  May  this 
Iribute  to  the  gallant  Indian  gentlemen  who  came  to 
fight  our  battles  serve  to  remind  its  readers  that  they 
who  give  their  best,  and  they  who  take,  are  one. 

T.  M. 


^«■^<:^ 


i^.l250"/3 


One  hundred  Indian  troops  of  the 
British  Army  have  arrived  at  Kabul, 
Afghanistan,  after  a  four  months* 
march  from  Constantinople.  The  men 
were  captured  in  Flanders  by  the  Ger- 
mans and  were  sent  to  Turkey  in  the 
hope  that,  being  Mohammedans,  they 
might  jom  the  Turks.  But  they  re- 
mained loyal  to  Great  Britain  and 
finally  escaped,  heading  for  Afghani- 
stan. They  now  intend  to  join  their 
regimental  depot  in  India,  so  it  is  re- 
ported. 

New  York  Times,  July,  191 5* 


HIRA  SINGH 


Hira  Singh 

CHAPTER  I 

Let  a  man,  an  arrow,  and  an  answer  each  go 
straight.    Each  is  his  own  witness.     God  is  judge, 

— ^Eastern  Proverb. 

A  Sikh  who  must  have  stood  about  six  feet  with- 
out his  turban — and  only  imagination  knows  how 
stately  he  was  with  it — loomed  out  of  the  violet  mist 
of  an  Indian  morning  and  scrutinized  me  with  calm 
brown  eyes.  His  khaki  uniform,  like  two  of  the 
medal  ribbons  on  his  breast,  was  new,  but  nothing 
else  about  him  suggested  rawness.  Attitude,  gray- 
ness,  dignity,  the  unstudied  strength  of  his  politeness, 
all  sang  aloud  of  battles  won.  Battles  with  himself 
they  may  have  been — ^but  they  were  won. 

I  began  remembering  ice-polished  rocks  that  the 
glaciers  once  dropped  along  Maine  valleys,  when  his 
quiet  voice  summoned  me  back  to  India  and  the  con- 
valescent camp  beyond  whose  outer  gate  I  stood.  Two 
flags  on  lances  formed  the  gate  and  the  boundary  line 
was  mostly  imaginary;  but  one  did  not  trespass,  be- 
cause at  about  the  point  where  vision  no  longer 
pierced  the  mist  there  stood  a  sentry,  and  the  ground- 
ing of  a  butt  on  gravel  and  now  and  then  a  cough 
announced  others  beyond  him  again. 

"I  have  permission,"  I  said,  "to  find  a  certain 
1 


^2    .,,.  HIRA  SINGH 

liisaldar-major  Ranjoor  Singh,  and  to  ask  him  ques- 
tions." 

He  smiled.  His  eyes,  betraying  nothing  but  polite- 
ness, read  the  very  depths  of  mine. 

"Has  the  sahib  credentials?"  he  asked.  So  I 
showed  him  the  permit  covered  with  signatures  that 
was  the  one  scrap  of  writing  left  in  my  possession 
after  several  searchings. 

"Thank  you,"  he  said  gravely.  "There  were  others 
who  had  no  permits.  ,Will  you  walk  with  me  through 
the  camp?" 

That  was  new  annoyance,  for  with  such  a  search 
as  I  had  in  mind  what  interest  could  there  be  in  a 
camp  for  convalescent  Sikhs?  Tents  pitched  at  in- 
tervals— a  hospital  marquee — a  row  of  trees  under 
which  some  of  the  wounded  might  sit  and  dream  the 
day  through — these  were  all  things  one  could  imagine 
without  journeying  to  India.  But  there  was  nothing 
to  do  but  accept,  and  I  walked  beside  him,  wishing  I 
could  stride  with  half  his  grace. 

"There  are  no  well  men  here,"  he  told  me.  "Even 
the  heavy  work  about  the  camp  is  done  by  convales- 
cents." 

"Then  why  are  you  here?"  I  asked,  not  trying  to 
conceal  admiration  for  his  strength  and  stature. 

"I,  too,  am  not  yet  quite  recovered." 

"From  what?"  I  asked,  impudent  because  I  felt 
desperate.    But  I  drew  no  fire. 

"I  do  not  know  the  English  name  for  my  com- 
plaint," he  said.  (But  he  spoke  English  better  than 
I,  he  having  mastered  it,  whereas  I  was  only  bom 
to  its  careless  use.) 


HIRA  SINGH  3 

"How  long  do  you  expect  to  remain  on  the  sick 
list?"  I  asked,  because  a  woman  once  told  me  that 
the  way  to  make  a  man  talk  is  to  seem  to  be  interested 
in  himself. 

"Who  knows  ?"  said  he. 

He  showed  me  about  the  camp,  and  we  came  to  a^ 
stand  at  last  under  the  branches  of  an  enormous 
mango  tree.  Early  though  it  was,  a  Sikh  non- 
commissioned officer  was  already  sitting  propped 
against  the  trunk  with  his  bandaged  feet  stretched  out 
in  front  of  him — a.  peculiar  attitude  for  a  Sikh. 

"That  one  knows  English,"  my  guide  said,  nodding. 
!And  making  me  a  most  profound  salaam,  he 
added:  "Why  not  talk  with  him?  I  have  duties. 
J  must  go." 

The  officer  turned  away,  and  I  paid  him  the  cour- 
tesy due  from  one  man  to  another.  It  shall  always 
be  a  satisfying  memory  that  I  raised  my  hat  to  him 
and  that  he  saluted  me. 

"What  is  that  officer's  name?"  I  asked,  and  the 
man  on  the  ground  seemed  astonished  that  I  did  not 
know. 

"Risaldar-major  Ranjoor  Singh  bahadurl"  he 
said. 

For  a  second  I  was  possessed  by  the  notion  of 
running  after  him,  until  I  recalled  that  he  had  known 
my  purpose  from  the  first  and  that  therefore  his  pur- 
pose must  have  been  deliberate.  Obviously,  I  would 
better  pursue  the  opportunity  that  in  his  own  way  he 
had  given  me. 

"What  is  your  name?"  I  asked  the  man  on  the 
l^und. 


4  HIRA  SINGH 

"Hira  Singh,"  he  answered,  and  at  that  1  sat  down 
beside  him.    For  I  had  also  heard  of  Hira  Singh. 

He  made  quite  a  fuss  at  first  because,  he  said,  the 
dusty  earth  beneath  a  tree  was  no  place  for  a  sahib. 
But  suddenly  he  jumped  to  the  conclusion  I  must  be 
American,  and  ceased  at  once  to  be  troubled  about  my 
dignity.  On  the  other  hand,  he  grew  perceptibly  less 
distant.    Not  more  friendly,  perhaps,  but  less  guarded. 

"You  have  talked  with  Sikhs  in  California?"  he 
asked,  and  I  nodded. 

"Then  you  have  heard  lies,  sahib.  I  know  the 
burden  of  their  song.  A  bad  Sikh  and  a  bad  English- 
man alike  resemble  rock  torn  loose.  The  greater  the 
height  from  which  they  fall,  the  deeper  they  dive  into 
the  mud.  Which  is  the  true  Sikh,  he  who  marched 
with  us  or  he  who  abuses  us  ?  Yet  I  am  told  that  in 
America  men  believe  what  hired  Sikhs  write  for  the 
German  papers. 

"No  man  hired  me,  sahib,  although  one  or  two 
have  tried.  When  I  came  of  age  I  sought  acceptance 
in  the  army,  and  was  chosen  among  many.  When 
my  feet  are  healed  I  shall  return  to  duty.  I  am  a 
true  Sikh.  If  the  sahib  cares  to  listen,  I  will  tell 
him  truth  that  has  not  been  written  in  the  papers." 

So,  having  diagnosed  my  nationality  and  need,  he 
proceeded  to  tell  me  patiently  things  that  many 
English  are  in  the  dark  about,  both  because  of  the 
censorship  and  because  of  the  prevailing  superstition 
that  the  English  resent  being  told — ^he  stabbing  and 
sweeping  at  the  dust  with  a  broken  twig  and  makings 
little  heaps  and  dents  by  way  of  illustration, — I  sitting 
silent,  brushing  away  the  flies. 


HIRA  SINGH  5 

Day  after  day  I  sought  him  soon  after  dawn  when 
they  were  rolling  up  the  tent-flaps.  I  shared  the  curry 
and  chapatties  that  a  trooper  brought  to  him  at  noon, 
and  I  fetched  water  for  him  to  drink  from  time  to 
time.  It  was  dusk  each  day  before  I  left  him;  so 
that,  what  with  his  patience  and  my  diligence,  I  have 
been  able  to  set  down  the  story  as  he  told  it,  nearly 
in  his  own  words. 

But  of  Risaldar-major  Ranjoor  Singh  bahadur  in 

the  flesh,  I  have  not  had  another  glimpse.     I  went 

in  search  of  him  the  very  first  evening,  only  to  learn 

that  he  had  "passed  his  medical"  that  afternoon  and 

had  returned  at  once  to  active  service. 
*    *    * 

We  Sikhs  have  a  proverb,  sahib,  that  the  ruler 
and  the  ruled  are  one.  That  has  many  sides  to  it,  of 
which  one  is  this:  India  having  many  moods  and 
minds,  the  British  are  versatile.  Not  altogether  wise, 
for  who  is?  When,  for  instance,  did  India  make  an 
end  of  wooing  foolishness?  Since  the  British  rule 
India,  they  may  wear  her  flowers,  but  they  drink  her 
dregs.  They  may  bear  her  honors,  but  her  blame  as 
well.  As  the  head  is  to  the  body,  the  ruler  and  the 
ruled  are  one. 

Yet,  as  I  understand  it,  when  this  great  war  came 
there  was  disappointment  in  some  quarters  and  sur- 
prise in  others  because  we,  who  were  known  not  to  be 
contented,  did  not  rise  at  once  in  rebellion.  To  that 
the  answer  is  faith  finds  faith.  It  is  the  great  gift 
of  the  British  that  they  set  faith  in  the  hearts  of  other 
njen. 

There  were  dark  hours,  sahib,  before  it  was  made 


6  HIRA  SINGH 

known  that  there  was  war.  The  censorship  shut  down 
on  us,  and  there  were  a  thousand  rumors  for  every 
one  known  fact.  There  had  come  a  sudden  swarm 
of  Sikhs  from  abroad,  and  of  other  men — all  hire- 
lings— who  talked  much  about  Germany  and  a  change 
of  masters.  There  were  dark  sayings,  and  arrests  by 
night.  Men  with  whom  we  talked  at  dusk  had  disap- 
peared at  dawn.  Ranjoor  Singh,  not  yet  bahadur 
but  risaldar-major,  commanding  Squadron  D  of  my 
regiment,  Outram's  Own,  became  very  busy  in  the 
bazaars ;  and  many  a  night  I  followed  him,  not  always 
with  his  knowledge.  I  intended  to  protect  him,  but  I 
also  wished  to  know  what  the  doings  were. 

There  was  a  woman.  Did  the  sahib  ever  hear  of  a 
plot  that  had  not  a  woman  in  it?  He  went  to  the 
woman's  house.  In  hiding,  I  heard  her  sneer  at  him. 
I  heard  her  mock  him.  I  would  have  doubted  him  for- 
ever if  I  had  heard  her  praise  him,  but  she  did  not, 
and  I  knew  him  to  be  a  true  man. 

Ours  is  more  like  the  French  than  the  British  sys- 
tem; there  is  more  intercourse  between  officer  and 
non-commissioned  officer  and  man.  But  Ranjoor 
Singh  is  a  silent  man,  and  we  of  his  squadron,  though 
we  respected  him,  knew  little  of  what  was  in  his  mind. 
When  there  began  to  be  talk  about  his  knowing  Ger- 
man, and  about  his  secrecy,  and  about  his  nights  spent 
at  HER  place,  who  could  answer?  We  all  knew  he 
knew  German. 

There  were  printed  pamphlets  from  God-knows- 
where,  and  letters  from  America,  that  maae  pretense 
at  explanations ;  and  there  were  spies  who  whispered. 
My  voice,  saying  I  had  listened  and  seen  and  that  I 


HIRA  SINGH  7 

trusted,  was  as  a  quail's  note  when  the  monsoon  bursts. 
None  heard.  So  that  in  the  end  I  held  my  tongue. 
I  even  began  to  doubt. 

Then  a  trooper  of  ours  was  murdered  in  the 
bazaar,  and  Ranjoor  Singh's  servant  disappeared. 
Within  an  hour  Ranjoor  Singh  was  gone,  too. 

Then  came  news  of  war.  Then  our  officers  came 
among  us  to  ask  whether  we  are  willing  or  not  to  take 
a  hand  in  this  great  quarrel.  Perhaps  in  that  hour  if 
they  had  not  asked  us  we  might  have  judged  that  we 
and  they  were  not  one  after  all. 

But  they  did  ask,  and  let  a  man,  an  arrow,  and  an 
answer  each  go  straight,  say  we.  Our  Guru  tells  us 
Sikhs  should  fight  ever  on  the  side  of  the  oppressed; 
the  weaker  the  oppressed,  the  more  the  reason  for  our 
taking  part  with  them.  Our  officers  made  no  secret 
about  the  strength  of  the  enemy,  and  we  made  none 
with  them  of  our  feeling  in  the  matter.  They  were 
proud  men  that  day.  Colonel  Kirby  was  a  very  proud 
man.  We  were  prouder  than  he,  except  when  we 
thought  of  Ranjoor  Singh. 

Then,  as  it  were  out  of  the  night  itself,  there  came 
a  message  by  word  of  mouth  from  Ranjoor  Singh 
saying  he  will  be  with  us  before  the  blood  shall  run. 
We  w^ere  overjoyed  at  that,  and  talked  about  it  far 
into  the  night;  yet  when  dawn  had  come  doubt  again 
had  hold  of  us,  and  I  think  I  was  the  only  Sikh  in 
the  regiment  ready  to  swear  to  his  integrity.  Once, 
at  least  a  squadron  of  us  had  loved  him  to  the  death 
because  we  thought  him  an  example  of  Sikh  honor. 
Now  only  I  and  our  British  officers  believed  in  him. 

We  are  light  cavalry.     We  were  first  of  all  the 


8  HIRA  SINGH 

Indian  regiments  to  ride  out  of  Delhi  and  entrain  at  a 
station  down  the  line.  That  was  an  honor,  and  the 
other  squadrons  rode  gaily,  but  D  Squadron  hung  its 
head.  I  heard  men  muttering  in  the  ranks  and  some 
I  rebuked  to  silence,  but  my  rebukes  lightened  no 
man's  heart.  In  place  of  Ranjoor  Singh  rode  Captain 
Fellowes,  promoted  from  another  squadron,  and  notic- 
ing our  lack  of  spirit,  he  did  his  best  to  inspire  us  with 
fine  words  and  manly  bearing;  but  we  felt  ashamed 
that  our  own  Sikh  major  was  not  leading  us,  and  did 
not  respond  to  encouragement. 

Yet  when  we  rode  out  of  Delhi  Gate  it  was  as  if  a 
miracle  took  place.  A  stiffening  passed  along  the 
squadron.  A  trooper  caught  sight  of  Ranjoor  Singh 
standing  beside  some  bullock  carts,  and  passed  the 
word.  I,  too,  saw  him.  He  was  with  a  Muhammadan 
bunnia,  and  was  dressed  to  resemble  one  himself. 

The  trooper  who  was  first  to  see  him — a  sharp- 
eyed  man — ^he  died  at  Ypres — Singh  means  lion, 
sahib — now  recognized  the  man  who  stood  with  him. 
"That  bunnia,"  said  he,  "is  surely  none  other  than  the 
European  who  gave  us  the  newspaper  clippings  about 
Sikhs  not  allowed  to  land  in  Canada.  See — he  is  dis- 
guised like  a  fool.  Are  the  police  asleep,"  said  he, 
"that  such  thieves  dare  sun  themselves?" 

It  was  true  enough,  sahib.  The  man  in  disguise 
was  German,  and  we  remembered  again  that  Ranjoor 
Singh  knew  German.  From  that  moment  we  rode  like 
new  men — I,  too,  although  I  because  I  trusted  Ranjoor 
Singh  now  more  than  ever ;  they,  because  they  trusted 
no  longer  at  all,  and  he  can  shoulder  what  seem  cer- 
tainties whom  doubt  unmans.    No  word,  but  a  thought 


HIRA  SINGH  9 

that  a  man  could  feel  passed  all  down  the  line,  that 
whatever  our  officer  might  descend  to  being,  the  rank 
and  file  would  prove  themselves  faithful  to  the  salt. 
Thenceforward  there  was  nothing  in  our  bearing  to 
cause  our  officers  anxiety. 

You  might  wonder,  sahib,  why  none  broke  ranks 
to  expose  both  men  on  the  spot.  I  did  not  because  I 
trusted  Ranjoor  Singh.  I  reasoned  he  would  never 
have  dared  be  seen  by  us  if  he  truly  were  a  traitor. 
It  seemed  to  me  I  knew  how  his  heart  must  burn  to 
be  riding  with  us.  They  did  not  because  they  would 
not  willingly  have  borne  the  shame.  I  tell  no  secret 
when  I  say  there  has  been  treason  in  the  Punjab;  the 
whole  world  knows  that.  Yet  few  understand  that 
the  cloak  under  which  it  all  made  headway  was  the 
pride  of  us  true  ones,  who  would  not  own  to  treason 
in  our  midst.  Pride  and  the  shadow  of  shame  are 
one,  sahib,  but  who  believes  it  until  the  shame  bears 
fruit? 

Before  the  last  squadron  had  ridden  by.  Captain 
Warrington,  our  adjutant,  also  caught  sight  of  Ran- 
joor Singh.  He  spurred  after  Colonel  Kirby,  and 
Colonel  Kirby  came  galloping  back;  but  before  he 
could  reach  Delhi  Gate  Ranjoor  Singh  had  disap- 
peared and  D  Squadron  was  glad  to  the  last  man. 

"Let  us  hope  he  may  die  like  a  rat  in  a  hole  and 
bring  no  more  shame  on  us!"  said  Gooja  Singh,  and 
many  assented. 

"He  said  he  will  be  with  us  before  the  blood  shall 
run!"  said  I. 

"Then  we  know  whose  blood  shall  run  first !"  said 
the  trooper  nearest  me,  and  those  who  heard  him 


10  HIRA  SINGH 

laughed.  So  I  held  my  tongue.  There  is  no  need 
of  argument  while  a  man  yet  lives  to  prove  himself. 
I  had  charge  of  the  party  that  burned  that  trooper's 
body.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  fall  after  we  reached 
France. 

Colonel  Kirby,  looking  none  too  pleased,  came 
trotting  back  to  us,  and  we  rode  on.  And  we  en- 
trained. Later  on  we  boarded  a  great  ship  in  Bombay 
harbor  and  put  to  sea,  most  of  us  thinking  by  that  time 
of  families  and  children,  and  some  no  doubt  of  money- 
lenders who  might  foreclose  on  property  in  our  ab- 
sence, none  yet  suspecting  that  the  government  will 
take  steps  to  prevent  that.  It  is  not  only  the  British 
officer,  sahib,  who  borrows  money  at  high  interest 
lest  his  shabbiness  shame  the  regiment. 

We  were  at  sea  almost  before  the  horses  were 
stalled  properly,  and  presently  there  were  officers  and 
men  and  horses  all  sick  together  in  the  belly  of  the 
ship,  with  chests  and  bales  and  barrels  broken  loose 
among  us.  The  this-and-that-way  motion  of  the  ship 
caused  horses  to  fall  down,  and  men  were  too  sick 
to  help  them  up  again.  I  myself  lay  amid  dung  like 
a  dead  man — ^yet  vomiting  as  no  dead  man  ever  did— - 
and  saw  British  officers  as  sick  as  I  laboring  like 
troopers.  There  are  more  reasons  than  one  why  we 
Sikhs  respect  our  British  officers. 

The  coverings  of  the  ship  were  shut  tight,  lest 
the  waves  descend  among  us.  The  stench  became 
worse  than  any  I  had  ever  known,  although  I  learned 
to  know  a  worse  one  later ;  but  I  will  speak  of  that  at 
the  proper  time.  It  seemed  to  us  like  a  poor  begin- 
ning and  that  thought  put  little  heart  in  us. 


HIRA  SINGH  11 

But  the  sickness  began  to  lessen  after  certain  days, 
and  as  the  movements  grew  easier  the  horses  were 
able  to  stand.  Then  we  became  hungry,  who  had 
thought  we  would  never  wish  to  eat  again,  and  double 
rations  were  served  out  to  compensate  for  days  when 
we  had  eaten  nothing.  Then  a  few  men  sought  the 
air,  and  others — I  among  them — ^went  out  of  curiosity 
to  see  why  the  first  did  not  return.  So,  first  by 
dozens  and  then  by  hundreds,  we  went  and  stood  full 
of  wonder,  holding  to  the  bulwark  for  the  sake  of 
steadiness. 

It  may  be,  sahib,  that  if  I  had  the  tongue  of  a 
woman  and  of  a  priest  and  of  an  advocate — three 
tongues  in  one — I  might  then  tell  the  half  of  what 
there  was  to  wonder  at  on  that  long  journey.  Surely 
not  otherwise.  Being  a  soldier,  well  trained  in  all 
subjects  becoming  to  a  horseman  but  slow  of  speech, 
I  can  not  tell  the  hundredth  part. 

We — ^who  had  thought  ourselves  alone  in  all  the 
sea — ^were  but  one  ship  among  a  number.  The  ships 
proceeded  after  this  manner — see,  I  draw  a  pattern — ' 
with  foam  boiling  about  each.  Ahead  of  us  were 
many  ships  bearing  British  troops — cavalry,  infantry 
and  guns.  To  our  right  and  left  and  behind  us  were 
Sikh,  Gurkha,  Dogra,  Pathan,  Punjabi,  Rajput — 
many,  many  men,  on  many  ships.  Two  and  thirty 
ships  I  counted  at  one  time,  and  there  was  the  smoke 
of  others  over  the  sky-line! 

Above  the  bulwark  of  each  ship,  all  the  way  along 
it,  thus,  was  a  line  of  khaki.  Ahead  of  us  that  was 
helmets.  To  our  right  and  left  and  behind  us  it  was 
turbans.     The  men  of  each  ship  wondered  at  all  the 


12  HIRA  SINGH 

others.  And  most  of  all,  I  think,  we  wondered  at 
the  great  gray  war-ships  plunging  in  the  distance ;  fof 
none  knew  whence  they  had  come;  we  saw  none  in 
Bombay  when  we  started.  It  was  not  a  sight  for  the 
tongue  to  explain,  sahib,  but  for  a  man  to  carry  in 
his  heart.  A  sight  never  to  be  forgotten.  I  heard  no 
more  talk  about  a  poor  beginning. 

We  came  to  Aden,  and  stopped  to  take  on  coal  and 
water.  There  was  no  sign  of  excitement  there,  yet 
no  good  news.  It  was  put  in  Orders  of  the  Day  that 
the  Allies  are  doing  as  well  as  can  be  expected  pend- 
ing arrival  of  reenforcements ;  and  that  is  not  the  way 
winners  speak.  Later,  when  we  had  left  Aden  behind, 
bur  officers  came  down  among  us  and  confessed  that 
all  did  not  go  well.  We  said  brave  things  to  encourage 
them,  for  it  is  not  good  that  one's  officers  should  doubt. 
If  a  rider  doubts  his  horse,  what  faith  shall  the  horse 
have  in  his  rider?  And  so  it  is  with  a  regiment  and 
its  officers. 

After  some  days  we  reached  a  narrow  sea — ^the 
Red  Sea,  men  call  it,  although  God  knows  why — ^a 
place  full  of  heat  and  sand-storms,  shut  in  on  either 
hand  by  barren  hills.  There  was  no  green  thing  any- 
where. There  we  passed  islands  where  men  ran  down 
to  the  beach  to  shout  and  wave  helmets — unshaven 
Englishmen,  who  trim  the  lights.  It  must  have  been 
their  first  intimation  of  any  war.  How  else  can 
they  have  known  of  it?  We  roared  back  to  them,  all 
of  the  men  on  all  of  the  ships  together,  until  the  Red 
Sea  was  the  home  of  thunder,  and  our  ships'  whistles 
screamed  them  official  greeting  through  the  din.     I 


HIRA  SINGH  13" 

spent  many  hours  wondering  what  those  men's 
thoughts  might  be. 

Never  was  such  a  sight,  sahib!  Behind  our  ships 
was  darkness,  for  the  wind  was  from  the  north  and 
the  funnels  belched  forth  smoke  that  trailed  and 
spread.  I  watched  it  with  fascination  until  one  day 
Gooja  Singh  came  and  watched  beside  me  near  the 
stem.  His  rank  was  the  same  as  mine,  although  I 
was  more  than  a  year  his  senior.  There  was  never 
too  much  love  between  us.  Step  by  step  I  earned 
promotion  first,  and  he  was  jealous.  But  on  the  face 
of  things  we  were  friends.  Said  he  to  me  after  a 
long  time  of  gazing  at  the  smoke,  "I  think  there  is  a 
curtain  drawn.  We  shall  never  return  by  that  road  !*' 

I  laughed  at  him.  "Look  ahead  I"  said  I.  "Let 
us  leave  our  rear  to  the  sweepers  and  the  crows  I" 

Nevertheless,  what  he  had  said  remained  in  my 
mind,  as  the  way  of  dark  sayings  is.  Yet  why  should 
the  word  of  a  fool  have  the  weight  of  truth?  There 
are  things  none  can  explain.  He  proved  right  in  the 
end,  but  gained  nothing.  Behold  me;  and  where  is 
Gooja  Singh  ?  I  made  no  prophecy,  and  he  did.  Can 
the  sahib  explain? 

Day  after  day  we  kept  overtaking  other  ships, 
most  of  them  hurrying  the  same  way  as  ourselves. 
Not  all  were  British,  but  the  crews  all  cheered  us, 
and  we  answered,  the  air  above  our  heads  alive  with 
waving  arms  and  our  trumpets  going  as  if  we  rode  to 
the  king  of  England's  wedding.  If  their  hearts 
burned  as  ours  did,  the  crews  of  those  ships  were 
given  something  worth  remembering. 


14  HIRA  SINGH 

We  passed  one  British  ship  quite  close,  whose  cap- 
tain was  an  elderly  man  with  a  gray  beard.  He  so 
waved  his  helmet  that  it  slipped  from  his  grasp  and 
went  spinning  into  the  sea.  When  we  lost  him  in  our 
smoke  his  crew  of  Chinese  were  lowering  a  boat  to 
recover  the  helmet  We  heard  the  ships  behind  us 
roaring  to  him.  Strange  that  I  should  wonder  to  this 
day  whether  those  Chinese  recovered  the  helmet!  It 
looked  like  a  good  new  one.  I  have  wondered  about 
it  on  the  eve  of  action,  and  in  the  trenches,  and  in  the 
snow  on  outpost  duty.  I  wonder  about  it  now.  Can 
the  sahib  tell  me  why  an  old  man's  helmet  should  be  a 
memory,  when  so  much  that  was  matter  of  life  and 
death  has  gone  from  mind?  I  see  that  old  man  and 
his  helmet  now,  yet  I  forget  the  feel  of  Flanders  mud. 

We  reached  Suez,  and  anchored  there.  At  Suez 
lay  many  ships  in  front  of  us,  and  a  great  gray  battle- 
ship saluted  us  with  guns,  we  all  standing  to  attention 
while  our  ensigns  dipped.  I  thought  it  strange  that 
the  battle-ship  should  salute  us  first,  until  I  recalled 
how  when  I  was  a  little  fellow  I  once  saw  a  viceroy 
salute  my  grandfather.  My  grandfather  was  one  of 
those  Sikhs  who  marched  to  help  the  British  on  the 
Ridge  at  Delhi  when  the  British  cause  seemed  lost. 
The  British  have  long  memories  for  such  things. 

Later  there  came  an  officer  from  the  battle-ship 
and  there  was  hot  argument  on  our  upper  bridge.  The 
captain  of  our  ship  grew  very  angry,  but  the  officer 
from  the  battle-ship  remained  polite,  and  presently  he 
took  away  with  him  certain  of  our  stokers.  The  cap- 
tain of  our  ship  shouted  after  him  that  there  were 


HIRA  SINGH  IS 

only  weaklings  and  devil's  leavings  left,  but  later  we 
discovered  that  was  not  true. 

We  fretted  at  delay  at  Suez.  Ships  may  only  enter 
the  canal  one  by  one,  and  while  we  waited  some  Arabs 
found  their  way  on  board  from  a  small  boat,  pre- 
tending to  sell  fruit  and  trinkets.  They  assured  us 
that  the  French  and  British  were  already  badly  beaten, 
and  that  Belgium  had  ceased  to  be.  To  test  them, 
we  asked  where  Belgium  was,  and  they  did  not  know ; 
but  they  swore  it  had  ceased  to  be.  They  advised  us 
to  mutiny  and  refuse  to  go  on  to  our  destruction. 

They  ought  to  have  been  arrested,  but  we  were 
enraged  and  drove  them  from  the  ship  with  blows. 
We  upset  their  little  boat  by  hauling  at  the  rope  with 
which  they  had  made  it  fast,  and  they  were  forced  to 
swim  for  shore.  One  of  them  was  taken  by  a  shark, 
which  we  considered  an  excellent  omen,  and  the  others 
were  captured  as  they  swam  and  taken  ashore  in  cus- 
tody. 

I  think  others  must  have  visited  the  other  ships 
with  similar  tales  to  tell,  because  after  that,  sahib, 
there  was  something  such  as  I  think  the  world  never 
saw  before  that  day.  In  that  great  fleet  of  ships  we 
were  men  of  many  creeds  and  tongues — Sikh,  Muham- 
madan,  Dorga,  Gurkha  (the  Dogra  and  Gurkha  be 
both  Hindu,  though  of  different  kinds),  Jat,  Punjabi, 
Rajput,  Guzerati,  Pathan,  Mahratta — ^who  can  recall 
how  many!  No  one  language  could  have  sufficed  to 
explain  one  thought  to  all  of  us — no,  nor  yet  ten 
languages!  No  word  passed  that  my  ear  caught 
Yet,  ship  after  ship  became  aware  of  closer  unity. 


16  HIRA  SINGH 

All  on  our  knees  on  all  the  ships  together  we 
prayed  thereafter  thrice  a  day,  our  British  officers 
standing  bareheaded  beneath  the  upper  awnings,  the 
chin-strap  marks  showing  very  plainly  on  their  cheeks 
as  the  way  of  the  British  is  when  they  feel  emotion. 
We  prayed,  sahib,  lest  the  war  be  over  before  we  could 
come  and  do  our  share.  I  think  there  was  no  fear  in 
all  that  fleet  except  the  fear  lest  we  come  too  late.  A 
man  might  say  with  truth  that  we  prayed  to  more 
gods  than  one,  but  our  prayer  was  one-  And  we  re- 
ceived one  answer. 

One  morning  Dur  ship  got  up  anchor  unexpectedly 
and  began  to  enter  the  canal  ahead  of  all  the  ships 
bearing  Indian  troops.  The  men  on  the  other  ships 
bayed  to  us  like  packs  of  wolves,  in  part  to  give  en- 
couragement but  principally  jealous.  We  began  to 
expect  to  see  France  now  at  any  minute — I,  who  can 
draw  a  map  of  the  world  and  set  the  chief  cities  in 
the  proper  place,  being  as  foolish  as  the  rest.  There 
lay  work  as  well  as  distance  between  us  and  France. 

We  began  to  pass  men  laboring  to  make  the  canal 
banks  ready  against  attack,  but  mostly  they  had  no 
news  to  give  us.  Yet  at  one  place,  where  we  tied  to 
the  bank  because  of  delay  ahead,  a  man  shouted  from 
a  sand-dune  that  the  kaiser  of  Germany  has  turned 
Muhammadan  and  now  summons  all  Islam  to  destroy 
the  French  and  British.  Doubtless  he  mistook  us  for 
Muhammadans,  being  neither  the  first  nor  the  last 
to  make  that  mistake. 

So  we  answered  him  we  were  on  our  way  to  Ber- 
lin to  teach  the  kaiser  his  new  creed.  One  man  threw 
a  lump  of  coal  at  him  and  he  disappeared,  but  pres- 


HIRA  SINGH  17 

ently  we  heard  him  shouting  to  the  men  on  the  ship 
behind.  They  truly  were  Muhammadans,  but  they 
jeered  at  him  as  loud  as  we. 

After  that  our  officers  set  us  to  leading  horses  up 
and  down  the  deck  in  relays,  partly,  no  doubt,  to  keep 
trs  from  talking  with  other  men  on  shore,  but  also 
for  the  horses'  sake.  I  remember  how  flies  came  on 
board  and  troubled  the  horses  very  much.  At  sea 
we  had  forgotten  there  were  such  things  as  flies,  and 
they  left  us  again  when  we  left  the  canal. 

At  Port  Said,  which  looks  like  a  mean  place,  we 
stopped  again  for  coal.  Naked  Egyptians — ^big  black 
men,  as  tall  as  I  and  as  straight — carried  it  up  an 
inclined  plank  from  a  float  and  cast  it  by  basket fuls 
through  openings  in  the  ship's  side.  We  made  up  a 
purse  of  money  for  them,  both  officers  and  men  con- 
tributing, and  I  was  told  there  was  a  coaling  record 
broken. 

After  that  we  steamed  at  great  speed  along  another 
sea;,  one  ship  at  a  time,  just  as  we  left  the  canal,  our 
ship  leading  all  those  that  bore  Indian  troops.  And 
now  there  were  other  war-ships — ^little  ones,  each  of 
many  funnels — ^low  in  the  water,  yet  high  at  the  nose 
a— most  swift,  that  guarded  us  on  every  hand,  coming 
and  going  as  the  sharks  do  when  they  search  the  seas 
for  food. 

A  wonder  of  a  sight,  sahib!  Blue  water — ^blue 
water — ^bluest  ever  I  saw,  who  have  seen  lake  water 
in  the  Hills !  And  all  the  ships  belching  black  smoke, 
Sind  throwing  up  pure  white  foam — and  the  last  ship 
so  far  behind  that  only  masts  and  smoke  were  visible 
above  the  sky-line — but  more,  we  knew,  behind  that 


18  HIRA  SINGH 

again,  and  yet  more  coming  I  I  watched  for  hours 
at  a  stretch  without  weariness,  and  thought  again  of 
Ranjoor  Singh.  Surely,  thought  I,  his  three  cam- 
paigns entitled  him  to  this.  Surely  he  was  a  better 
man  than  I.  Yet  here  was  I,  and  no  man  knew  where 
he  was.  But  when  I  spoke  of  Ranjoor  Singh  men 
spat,  so  I  said  nothing. 

After  a  time  I  begged  leave  to  descend  an  iron 
ladder  to  the  bowels  of  the  ship,  and  I  sat  on  the  low- 
est rung  watching  the  British  firemen  at  the  furnaces. 
They  cursed  me  in  the  name  of  God,  their  teeth  and 
the  whites  of  their  eyes  gleaming,  but  their  skin 
black  as  night  with  coal  dust.  The  sweat  ran  down 
in  rivers  between  ridges  of  grime  on  the  skin  of  their 
naked  bellies.  When  a  bell  rang  and  the  fire  doors 
opened  they  glowed  like  pictures  I  have  seen  of  devils. 
They  were  shadows  when  the  doors  clanged  shut 
again.  Considering  them,  I  judged  that  they  and  we 
were  one. 

I  climbed  on  deck  again  and  spoke  to  a  risaldar. 
He  spoke  to  Colonel  Kirby.  Watching  from  below,  I 
saw  Colonel  Kirby  nod — thus,  like  a  bird  that  takes 
an  insect ;  and  he  went  and  spoke  to  the  captain  of  the 
ship.  Presently  there  was  consultation,  and  a  call  for 
volunteers.  The  whole  regiment  responded.  None, 
however,  gave  me  credit  for  the  thought.  I  think 
that  risaldar  accepted  praise  for  it,  but  I  have  had  no 
opportunity  to  ask  him.    He  died  in  Flanders. 

We  went  down  and  carried  coal  as  ants  that  build 
a  hill,  piling  it  on  the  iron  floor  faster  than  the  stokers 
could  use  it,  toiling  nearly  naked  like  them  lest  we 
spoil  our  uniforms.     We  grew  grimy,  but  the  ship 


HIRA  SINGH  19 

shook,  and  the  water  boiled  behind  us.  None  of  the 
other  ships  was  able  to  overtake  us,  although  we 
doubted  not  they  all  tried. 

There  grew  great  good  will  between  us  and  the 
stokers.  We  were  clumsy  from  inexperience,  and 
they  full  of  laughter  at  us,  but  each  judged  the  spirit 
with  which  the  other  labored.  Once,  where  I  stood 
directing  near  the  bunker  door,  two  men  fell  on  me 
and  covered  me  with  coal.  The  stokers  laughed  and 
I  was  angry.  I  had  hot  words  ready  on  my  tongue, 
but  a  risaldar  prevented  me. 

"This  is  their  trade,  not  ours,"  said  he.  "Look  to 
it  lest  any  laugh  at  us  when  the  time  for  our  own  trade 
comes !"  I  judged  that  well  spoken,  and  remembered 
it. 

There  came  at  last  a  morning  when  the  sun  shone 
through  jeweled  mist — a  morning  with  scent  in  it  that 
set  the  horses  in  the  hold  to  snorting — a  dawn  that 
smiled,  as  if  the  whole  universe  in  truth  were  God's. 
A  dawn,  sahib,  such  as  a  man  remembers  to  judge 
other  dawns  by.    That  day  we  came  in  sight  of  France. 

Doubtless  you  suppose  we  cheered  when  we  saw 
Marseilles  at  last.  Yet  I  swear  to  you  we  were  silent. 
We  were  disappointed  because  we  could  see  no  enemy 
and  hear  no  firing  of  great  guns !  We  made  no  more 
commotion  than  the  dead  while  our  ship  steamed  down 
the  long  harbor  entrance,  and  was  pushed  and  pulled 
by  little  tugs  round  a  comer  to  a  wharf.  A  French 
war-ship  and  some  guns  in  a  fort  saluted  us,  and  our 
ship  answered;  but  on  shore  there  seemed  no  excite- 
ment and  our  hearts  sank.  We  thought  that  for  all 
our  praying  we  had  come  too  late. 


20  HIRA  SINGH 

But  the  instant  they  raised  the  gangway  a  French 
officer  and  several  British  officers  came  running  up 
it,  and  they  all  talked  earnestly  with  Colonel  Kirby  on 
the  upper  bridge — ^we  watching  as  if  we  had  but  an 
eye  and  an  ear  between  us.  Presently  all  our  officers 
were  summoned  and  told  the  news,  and  without  one 
word  being  said  to  any  of  us  we  knew  there  was 
neither  peace  as  yet,  nor  any  surpassing  victory  fallen 
to  our  side.  So  then  instantly  we  all  began  to  speak 
at  once,  even  as  apes  do  when  sudden  fear  has  passed. 

There  were  whole  trains  of  trucks  drawn  up  in 
the  street  beside  the  dock  and  we  imagined  we  were 
to  be  hurried  at  once  toward  the  fighting.  But  not 
so,  for  the  horses  needed  rest  and  exercise  and  proper 
food  before  they  could  be  fit  to  carry  us.  Moreover, 
there  were  stores  to  be  offloaded  from  the  ships,  we 
having  brought  with  us  many  things  that  it  would  not 
be  so  easy  to  replace  in  a  land  at  war.  Whatever 
our  desire,  we  were  forced  to  wait,  and  when  we  had 
left  the  ship  we  were  marched  through  the  streets  to 
a  camp  some  little  distance  out  along  the  Estague 
Road.  Later  in  the  day,  and  the  next  day,  and  the 
next,  infantry  from  the  other  ships  followed  us,  for 
they,  too,  had  to  wait  for  their  stores  to  be  offloaded. 

The  French  seemed  surprised  to  see  us.  They 
were  women  and  children  for  the  most  part,  for  the 
grown  men  had  been  called  up.  In  our  country  we 
greet  friends  with  flowers,  but  we  had  been  led  to 
believe  that  Europe  thinks  little  of  such  manners. 
Yet  the  French  threw  flowers  to  us,  the  little  children 
bringing  arms  full  and  baskets  full. 

Thenceforward,  day  after  day,  we  rode  at  exercise, 


HIRA  SINGH  21 

keeping  ears  and  eyes  open,  and  marveling  at  France. 
No  man  complained,  although  our  very  bones  ached 
to  be  on  active  service.  And  no  man  spoke  of  Ranjoor 
Singh,  who  should  have  led  D  Squadron.  Yet  I  be- 
lieve there  was  not  one  man  in  all  D  Squadron  but 
thought  of  Ranjoor  Singh  all  the  time.  He  who  has 
honor  most  at  heart  speaks  least  about  it.  In  one  way 
shame  on  Ranjoor  Singh's  account  was  a  good  thing, 
for  it  made  the  whole  regiment  watchful  against 
treachery. 

Treachery,  sahib — we  had  yet  to  learn  what  treach- 
ery could  be!  Marseilles  is  a  half-breed  of  a  place, 
part  Italian,  part  French.  The  work  was  being  chiefly 
done  by  the  Italians,  now  that  all  able-bodied  French- 
men were  under  arms.    And  Italy  not  yet  in  the  war ! 

Sahib,  I  swear  to  you  that  all  the  spies  in  all  the 
world  seemed  at  that  moment  to  be  Italian,  and  all  in 
Marseilles  at  once !  There  were  spies  among  the  men 
who  brought  our  stores.  Spies  who  brought  the  hay. 
Spies  among  the  women  who  walked  now  and  then 
through  our  lines  to  admire,  accompanied  by  officers 
who  were  none  too  wide-awake  if  they  were  honest. 
You  would  not  believe  how  many  pamphlets  reached 
us,  printed  in  our  tongue  and  some  of  them  worded 
very  cunningly. 

There  were  men  who  could  talk  Hindustanee  who 
whispered  to  us  to  surrender  to  the  Germans  at  the 
first  opportunity,  promising  in  that  case  that  we  shall 
be  well  treated.  The  German  kaiser,  these  men  as- 
sured us,  had  truly  turned  Muhammadan;  as  if  that 
were  anything  to  Sikhs,  unless  perhaps  an  additional 
notch   against  him!     I   was   told   they   mistook   the 


22  HIRA  SINGH 

Muhammadans  in  another  camp  for  Sikhs,  and  were 
spat  on  for  their  pains ! 

Nor  were  all  the  sf«es  Italians,  after  all.  Our 
hearts  went  out  to  the  French.  We  were  glad  to  be 
on  their  side — glad  to  help  them  defend  their  country. 
I  shall  be  glad  to  my  dying  day  that  I  have  struck  a 
blow  for  France.  Yet  the  only  really  dangerous  man 
of  all  who  tried  to  corrupt  us  in  Marseilles  was  a 
French  officer  of  the  rank  of  major,  who  could  speak 
our  tongue  as  well  as  I.  He  said  with  sorrow  that 
the  French  were  already  as  good  as  vanquished,  and 
that  he  pitied  us  as  lambs  sent  to  the  slaughter.  The 
part,  said  he,  of  every  wise  man  was  to  go  over  to  the 
enemy  before  the  day  should  come  for  paying  pen- 
alties. 

I  told  what  he  had  said  to  me  to  a  risaldar,  and 
the  risaldar  spoke  with  Colonel  Kirby.  We  heard — 
although  I  do  not  know  whether  it  is  true  or  not — • 
that  the  major  was  shot  that  evening  with  his  face  to 
a  wall.  I  do  know  that  I,  in  company  with  several 
troopers,  was  cross-examined  by  interpreters  that  day 
in  presence  of  Colonel  Kirby  and  a  French  general 
and  some  of  the  general's  staff. 

There  began  to  be  talk  at  last  about  Ranjoor  Singh. 
I  heard  men  say  it  was  no  great  wonder,  after  all, 
that  he  should  have  turned  traitor,  for  it  was  plain 
he  must  have  been  tempted  cunningly.  Yet  there  was 
no  forgiveness  for  him.  They  grew  proud  that  where 
he  had  failed  they  could  stand  firm;  and  there  is  no 
mercy  in  proud  men's  minds — nor  much  wisdom 
either. 

At  last  a  day  came — ^too  soon  for  the  horses,  but 


HIRA  SINGH  '23 

none  too  soon  for  us — when  we  marched  through  the 
streets  to  entrain  for  the  front.  As  we  had  marched 
first  out  of  Delhi,  so  we  marched  first  from  Marseilles 
now.  Only  the  British  regiments  from  India  were  on 
ahead  of  us ;  we  led  the  Indian-born  contingent. 

French  wives  and  children,  and  some  cripples, 
lined  the  streets  to  cheer  and  wave  their  handker- 
chiefs. We  were  on  our  way  to  help  their  husbands 
defend  France,  and  they  honored  us.  It  was  our  due. 
But  can  the  sahib  accept  his  due  with  a  dry  eye  and 
a  word  in  his  throat?  Nay!  It  is  only  ingratitude 
that  a  man  can  swallow  unconcerned.  No  man  spoke. 
We  rode  like  graven  images,  and  I  think  the  French 
women  wondered  at  our  silence.  I  know  that  I,  for 
one,  felt  extremely  willing  to  die  for  France;  and  I 
thought  of  Ranjoor  Singh  and  of  how  his  heart,  too, 
would  have  burned  if  he  had  been  with  us.  With 
such  thoughts  as  swelled  in  my  own  breast,  it  was  not 
in  me  to  believe  him  false,  whatever  the  rest  might 
think. 

D  Squadron  proved  in  good  fortune  that  day,  for 
they  gave  us  a  train  of  passenger  coaches  with  seats, 
and  our  officers  had  a  first-class  coach  in  front.  The 
other  squadrons,  and  most  of  the  other  regiments, 
had  to  travel  in  open  trucks,  although  I  do  not  think 
any  grumbled  on  that  score.  There  was  a  French  staff 
officer  to  each  train,  and  he  who  rode  in  our  train  had 
an  orderly  who  knew  English;  the  orderly  climbed 
in  beside  me  and  we  rode  miles  together,  talking  all 
the  time,  he  surprising  me  vastly  more  than  I  him. 
We  exchanged  information  as  two  boys  that  play  a 
game — •!  a  move,  then  he  a  move,  then  I  again,  then  he. 


24  HIRA  SINGH 

The  game  was  at  an  end  when  neither  could  think 
of  another  question  to  ask;  but  he  learned  more  than 
I.  At  the  end  I  did  not  yet  know  what  his  religion 
was,  but  he  knew  a  great  deal  about  mine.  On  the 
other  hand,  he  told  me  all  about  their  army  and  its 
close  association  between  officers  and  men,  and  all 
the  news  he  had  about  the  fighting  (which  was  not  so 
very  much),  and  what  he  thought  of  the  British.  He 
seemed  to  think  very  highly  of  the  British,  rather  to 
his  own  surprise. 

He  told  me  he  was  a  pastry  cook  by  trade,  and 
said  he  could  cook  chapatties  such  as  we  eat;  and  he 
understood  my  explanation  why  Sikhs  were  riding  in 
the  front  trains  and  Muhammadans  behind — ^because 
Muhammadans  must  pray  at  fixed  intervals  and  the 
trains  must  stop  to  let  them  do  it.  He  understood 
wherein  our  Sikh  prayer  differs  from  that  of  Islam. 
Yet  he  refused  to  believe  I  am  no  polygamist.  But 
that  is  nothing.  Since  then  I  have  fought  in  a  trench 
beside  Englishmen  who  spoke  of  me  as  a  savage ;  and 
I  have  seen  wounded  Germans  writhe  and  scream 
because  their  officers  had  told  them  we  Sikhs  would 
eat  them  alive.    Yes,  sahib ;  not  once,  but  many  times. 

The  journey  was  slow,  for  the  line  ahead  of  us  was 
choked  with  supply  trains,  some  of  which  were  needed 
at  the  front  as  badly  as  ourselves.  Now  and  then 
trains  waited  on  sidings  to  let  us  by,  and  by  that  means 
we  became  separated  from  the  other  troop  trains,  our 
regiment  leading  all  the  others  in  the  end  by  almost 
half  a  day.  The  din  of  engine  whistles  became  so  con- 
stant that  we  no  longer  noticed  it. 

But  there   was   another   din   that   did  not   grow 


HIRA  SINGH  25 

familiar.  Along  the  line  next  ours  there  came  hurry- 
ing in  the  opposite  direction  train  after  train  of 
wounded,  traveling  at  great  speed,  each  leaving  a 
smell  in  its  wake  that  set  us  all  to  spitting.  And  once 
in  so  often  there  came  a  train  filled  full  of  the  sound 
of  screaming.  The  first  time,  and  the  second  time  we 
believed  it  was  ungreased  axles,  but  after  the  third 
time  we  understood. 

Then  our  officers  came  walking  along  the  foot- 
boards, speaking  to  us  through  the  windows  and  pre- 
tending to  point  out  characteristics  of  the  scenery; 
and  we  took  great  interest  in  the  scenery,  asking  them 
the  names  of  places  and  the  purposes  of  things,  for  it 
is  not  good  that  one's  officers  should  be  other  than 
arrogantly  confident. 

We  were  a  night  and  a  day,  and  a  night  and  a 
part  of  a  day  on  the  journey,  and  men  told  us  later 
we  had  done  well  to  cross  the  length  of  France  in  that 
time,  considering  conditions.  On  the  morning  of  the 
last  day  we  began  almost  before  it  was  light  to  hear 
the  firing  of  great  guns  and  the  bursting  of  shells — > 
like  the  thunder  of  the  surf  on  Bombay  Island  in  the 
great  monsoon — one  roar  without  intermission,  yet 
full  of  pulsation. 

I  think  it  was  midday  when  we  drew  up  at  last  on  a 
siding,  where  a  French  general  waited  with  some 
French  and  British  officers.  Colonel  Kirby  left  the 
train  and  spoke  with  the  general,  and  then  gave  the 
order  for  us  to  detrain  at  once;  and  we  did  so  very 
swiftly,  men,  and  horses,  and  baggage.  Many  of  us 
were  men  of  more  than  one  campaign,  able  to  judge 
by  this  and  by  that  how  sorely  we  were  needed.    We 


26  HIRA  SINGH 

knew  what  it  means  when  the  reenforcements  look 
fit  for  the  work  in  hand.  The  French  general  came 
and  shook  hands  again  with  Colonel  Kirby,  and  saluted 
us  all  most  impressively. 

We  were  spared  all  the  business  of  caring  for  our 
own  baggage  and  sent  away  at  once.  With  a  French 
staff  officer  to  guide  us,  we  rode  away  at  once  toward 
the  sound  of  firing — at  a  walk,  because  within  reason- 
able limits  the  farther  our  horses  might  be  allowed 
to  walk  now  the  better  they  would  be  able  to  gallop 
^ith  us  later. 

We  rode  along  a  road  between  straight  trees,  most 
of  them  scarred  by  shell-fire.  There  were  shell-holes 
in  the  road,  some  of  which  had  been  filled  with  the 
first  material  handy,  but  some  had  to  be  avoided.  We 
saw  no  dead  bodies,  nor  even  dead  horses,  although 
smashed  gun-carriages  and  limbers  and  broken 
wagons  were  everywhere. 

To  our  right  and  left  was  flat  country,  divided  by 
low  hedges  and  the  same  tall  straight  trees;  but  far 
away  in  front  was  a  forest,  whose  top  just  rose  above 
the  sky-line.  As  we  rode  toward  that  we  could  see 
the  shells  bursting  near  it. 

Between  us  and  the  forest  there  were  British  guns, 
dug  in;  and  away  to  our  right  were  French  guns — 
batteries  and  batteries  of  them.  And  between  us  and 
the  guns  were  great  receiving  stations  for  the  wounded, 
with  endless  lines  of  stretcher-bearers  like  ants  passing 
to  and  fro.  By  the  din  we  knew  that  the  battle 
stretched  far  away  beyond  sight  to  right  and  left  of 
us. 

Many  things  we  saw  that  were  unexpected.     The 


HIRA  SINGH  27 

speed  of  the  artillery  fire  was  unbelievable.  But  what 
surprised  all  of  us  most  was  the  absence  of  reserves. 
Behind  the  guns  and  before  the  guns  we  passed  many 
a  place  where  reserves  might  have  sheltered,  but  there 
were  none. 

There  came  two  officers,  one  British  and  one 
French,  galloping  toward  us.  They  spoke  excitedly 
with  Colonel  Kirby  and  our  French  staff  officer,  but 
we  continued  at  a  walk  and  Colonel  Kirby  lit  a  fresh 
cheroot.  After  some  time  there  came  an  aeroplane 
with  a  great  square  cross  painted  on  its  under  side, 
and  we  were  ordered  to  halt  and  keep  quite  still  until 
it  went  away.  When  it  was  too  far  away  for  its  man 
to  distinguish  us  we  began  to  trot  at  last,  but  it  was 
growing  dusk  when  we  halted  finally  behind  the  forest 
— dusky  and  cloudy,  the  air  full  of  smoke  from  the 
explosions,  ill-smelling  and  difficult  to  breathe.  During 
the  last  three-quarters  of  a  mile  the  shells  had  been 
bursting  all  about  us,  but  we  had  only  lost  one  man 
and  a  horse — and  the  man  not  killed. 

As  it  grew  darker  the  enemy  sent  up  star-shells, 
and  by  their  light  we  could  sometimes  see  as  plainly  as 
by  daylight.  British  infantry  were  holding  the  forest 
in  front  of  us  and  a  road  that  ran  to  right  of  it.  Their 
rifle-fire  was  steady  as  the  roll  of  drums.  These 
were  not  the  regiments  that  preceded  us  from  India ; 
they  had  been  sent  to  another  section  of  the  battle. 
These  were  men  who  had  been  in  the  fighting  from 
the  first,  and  their  wounded  and  the  stretcher-bearers 
were  surprised  to  see  us.  No  word  of  our  arrival 
seemed  to  reach  the  firing  line  as  yet.  Men  were  too 
busy  to  pass  news. 


28  HIRA  SINGH 

Over  our  heads  from  a  mile  away,  the  British  and 
French  artillery  were  sending  a  storm  of  shells,  and 
the  enemy  guns  were  answering  two  for  one.  And 
besides  that,  into  the  forest,  and  into  the  trench  to 
the  right  of  it  that  was  being  held  by  the  British  in- 
fantry there  was  falling  such  a  cataract  of  fire  that 
it  was  not  possible  to  believe  a  man  could  live.  Yet 
the  answering  rifle-fire  never  paused  for  a  second. 

I  learned  afterward  the  name  of  the  regiment  in 
the  end  of  the  trench  nearest  us.  With  these  two  eyes 
in  the  Hills  I  once  saw  that  same  regiment  run  like  a 
thousand  hares  into  the  night,  because  it  had  no  sup- 
per and  a  dozen  Afridi  marksmen  had  the  range. 
Can  the  sahib  explain  ?  I  think  I  can.  A  man's  spirit 
is  no  more  in  his  belly  than  in  the  cart  that  carries 
his  belongings;  yet,  while  he  thinks  it  is,  his  enemies 
all  flourish. 

We  dismounted  to  rest  the  horses,  and  waited 
behind  the  forest  until  it  grew  so  dark  that  between 
the  bursting  of  the  star-shells  a  man  could  not  see  his 
hand  held  out  in  front  of  him.  Now  and  then  a  stray 
shell  chanced  among  us,  but  our  casualties  were  very 
few.  I  wondered  greatly  at  the  waste  of  ammunition. 
My  ears  ached  with  the  din,  but  there  seemed  more 
noise  wrought  than  destruction.  We  had  begun  to 
grow  restless  when  an  officer  came  galloping  at  last 
to  Colonel  Kirby's  side  and  gave  him  directions  with 
much  pointing  and  waving  of  the  arm. 

Then  Colonel  Kirby  summoned  all  our  officers,  and 
they  rode  back  to  tell  us  what  the  plan  was.  The  din 
was  so  great  by  this  time  that  they  were  obliged  to  ex- 


HIRA  SINGH  29 

plain  anew  to  each  four  men  in  turn.  This  was  the 
plan: 

The  Germans,  ignorant  of  our  arrival,  undoubtedly 
believed  the  British  infantry  to  be  without  support 
and  were  beginning  to  press  forward  in  the  hope  of 
winning  through  to  the  railway  line.  The  infantry 
on  our  right  front,  already  overwhelmed  by  weight  of 
artillery  fire,  would  be  obliged  to  evacuate  their  trench 
and  fall  back,  thus  imperiling  the  whole  line,  unless 
we  could  save  the  day. 

Observe  this,  sahib:  so — I  make  a  drawing  in  the 
dust.  Between  the  trench  here,  and  the  forest  there, 
was  a  space  of  level  ground  some  fifty  or  sixty  yards 
wide.  There  was  scarcely  more  than  a  furrow  across 
it  to  protect  the  riflemen — nothing  at  all  that  could 
stop  a  horse.  At  a  given  signal  the  infantry  were  to 
draw  aside  from  that  piece  of  level  land,  like  a  cur- 
tain drawn  back  along  a  rod,  and  we  were  to  charge 
through  the  gap  thus  made  between  them  and  the 
forest.  The  shock  of  our  charge  and  its  unexpected- 
ness were  to  serve  instead  of  numbers. 

Fine  old-fashioned  tactics,  sahib,  that  suited  our 
mind  well!  There  had  been  plenty  on  the  voyage, 
including  Gooja  Singh,  who  argued  we  should  all  be 
turned  into  infantry  as  soon  as  we  arrived,  and  we  had 
dreaded  that.  Each  to  his  own.  A  horseman  prefers 
to  fight  on  horseback  with  the  weapons  that  he  knows. 

Perhaps  the  sahib  has  watched  Sikh  cavalry  at 
night  and  wondered  how  so  many  men  and  horses 
could  keep  so  still.  We  had  made  but  little  noise 
hitherto,  but  now  our  silence  was  that  of  night  itself. 


30  HIRA  SINGH 

We  had  but  one  eye,  one  ear,  one  intellect  among  us. 
We  were  one!  One  with  the  night  and  with  the 
work  ahead! 

One  red  light  swinging  near  the  corner  of  the  for- 
est was  to  mean  BE  READY !  We  were  ready  as  the 
fuse  is  for  the  match!  Two  red  lights  would  mean 
that  the  sidewise  movement  by  the  infantry  was  under 
way.  Three  lights  swinging  together  were  to  be  our 
signal  to  begin.  Sahib,  I  saw  three  red  lights  three 
thousand  times  between  each  minute  and  the  next! 

The  shell-fire  increased  from  both  sides.  Where 
the  British  infantry  lay  was  such  a  lake  of  flame 
and  din  that  the  very  earth  seemed  to  burst  apart; 
yet  the  answering  rifle-fire  was  steady — steady  as  the 
roll  of  drums.  Then  we  truly  saw  one  red  light,  and 
"EK!"  said  we  all  at  once.  Ek  means  one,  sahib, 
but  it  sounded  like  the  opening  of  a  breech-block. 
"Mount!"  ordered  Colonel  Kirby,  and  we  mounted. 

While  I  held  my  breath  and  watched  for  the  second 
light  I  heard  a  new  noise  behind  me,  different  from 
the  rest,  and  therefore  audible — a  galloping  horse  and 
a  challenge  close  at  hand.  I  saw  in  the  light  of  a 
bursting  shell  a  Sikh  oflicer,  close  followed  by  a 
trooper  on  a  blown  horse.  I  saw  the  oflicer  ride  to 
Colonel  Kirby's  side,  rein  in  his  charger,  and  salute. 
At  that  instant  there  swung  two  red  lights,  and  "DO !" 
said  the  regiment.  Do  means  two),  sahib,  but  it  sound- 
ed like  the  thump  of  ordnance.  "Draw  sabers !"  com- 
manded Colonel  Kirby,  and  the  rear  ranks  drew.  The 
front-rank  men  had  lances. 

By  the  light  of  a  star-shell  I  could  plainly  see  the 
Sikh  officer  and  trooper.    I  recognized  the  charger—* 


HIRA  SINGH  31 

a  beast  with  the  devil  in  him  and  the  speed  of  wind. 
I  recognized  both  men.  I  thought  a  shell  must  have 
struck  me.  I  must  be  dead  and  in  a  new  world.  I 
let  my  horse  edge  nearer,  not  believing — until  ears 
confirmed  eyes.  I  heard  Colonel  Kirby  speak,  very 
loud,  indeed,  as  a  man  to  whom  good  news  comes. 

"Ranjoor  Singh!"  said  he;  and  he  took  him  by 
the  hand  and  wrung  it.  "Thank  God !"  he  said,  speak- 
ing from  the  heart  as  the  British  do  at  times  when 
they  forget  that  others  listen.  "Thank  God,  old  man! 
You've  come  in  the  nick  of  time !" 

So  I  was  right,  and  my  heart  leapt  in  me.  He  was 
with  us  before  the  blood  ran!  Every  man  in  the 
squadron  recognized  him  now,  and  I  knew  every  eye 
had  watched  to  see  Colonel  Kirby  draw  saber  and  cut 
him  down,  for  habit  of  thought  is  harder  to  bend  than 
a  steel  bar.  But  I  could  feel  the  squadron  coming 
round  to  my  way  of  thinking  as  Colonel  Kirby  con- 
tinued talking  to  him,  obviously  making  him  an  ex- 
planation of  our  plan. 

"Join  your  squadron,  man — ^hurry!"  I  heard  Colo- 
nel Kirby  say  at  last,  for  taking  advantage  of  the 
darkness  I  had  let  my  horse  draw  very  near  to  them. 
Now  I  had  to  rein  back  and  make  pretense  that  my 
horse  had  been  unruly,  for  Ranjoor  Singh  came  rid- 
ing toward  us,  showing  his  teeth  in  a  great  grin,  and 
Captain  Fellowes  with  a  word  of  reproof  thrown 
back  to  me  spurred  on  to  meet  him. 

"Hurrah,  Major  Ranjoor  Singh!"  said  Captain 
Fellowes.  "I'm  damned  glad  to  see  you !"  That  was 
a  generous  speech,  sahib,  from  a  man  who  must  now 
yield  command  of  the  squadron,  but  Captain  Fellowes 


32  HIRA  SINGH 

had  a  heart  like  a  bridegroom*s  always.  He  must 
always  glory  in  the  squadron's  luck,  and  he  loved  us 
better  than  himself.  That  was  why  we  loved  him. 
They  shook  hands,  and  looked  in  each  other's  eyes. 
Ranjoor  Singh  wheeled  his  charger.  And  in  that  same 
second  we  all  together  saw  three  red  lights  swinging 
by  the  corner. 

"TIN !"  said  we,  with  one  voice.  Tin  means  three, 
sahib,  but  it  sounded  rather  like  the  scream  of  a  shell 
that  leaves  on  its  journey. 

My  horse  laid  his  ears  back  and  dug  his  toes  into 
the  ground.  A  trumpet  sounded,  and  Colonel  Kirby 
rose  in  his  stirrups : 

"Outram's  Own!"  he  yelled,  *'by  squadrons  on 
number  One — " 

But  the  sahib  would  not  b^  interested  in  the  se- 
quence of  commands  that  have  small  meaning  to  those 
not  familiar  with  them.  And  who  shall  describe  what 
followed?  Who  shall  tell  the  story  of  a  charge  into 
the  night,  at  an  angle,  into  massed  regiments  of  in- 
fantry advancing  one  behind  another  at  the  double 
and  taken  by  surprise  ? 

The  guns  of  both  sides  suddenly  ceased  firing. 
Even  as  I  used  my  spurs  they  ceased.  How?  Who 
am  I  that  I  should  know?  The  British  guns,  I  sup- 
pose, from  fear  of  slaying  us,  and  the  German  guns 
from  fear  of  slaying  Germans ;  but  as  to  how,  I  know 
not.  But  the  German  star-shells  continued  bursting 
overhead,  and  by  that  weird  light  their  oncoming  In- 
fantry saw  charging  into  them  men  they  had  never 
seen  before  out  of  a  picture-book ! 

God  knows  what  tales  they  had  been  told  about 


HIRA  SINGH  33 

us  Sikhs.  I  read  their  faces  as  I  rode.  Fear  is  an 
ugly  weapon,  sahib,  whose  hilt  is  more  dangerous  than 
its  blade.  If  our  officers  had  told  us  such  tales  about 
Germans  as  their  officers  had  told  them  about  us,  I 
think  perhaps  we  might  have  feared  to  charge. 

Numbers  were  as  nothing  that  night.  Speed,  and 
shock,  and  unexpectedness  were  ours,  and  lies  had 
prepared  us  our  reception.  D  Squadron  rode  behind 
Ranjoor  Singh  like  a  storm  in  the  night — swung  into 
line  beside  the  other  squardons — and  spurred  forward 
as  in  a  dream.  There  was  no  shouting;  no  war-cry. 
We  rode  into  the  Germans  as  I  have  seen  wind  cut  into 
a  forest  in  the  hills — downward  into  them,  for  once 
we  had  leapt  the  trench  the  ground  sloped  their  way. 
And  they  went  down  before  us  as  we  never  had  the 
chance  of  mowing  them  again. 

So,  sahib,  we  proved  our  hearts — ^whether  they 
were  stout,  and  true,  as  the  British  had  believed,  or 
false,  as  the  Germans  planned  and  hoped.  That  was 
a  night  of  nights — one  of  very  few  such,  for  the 
mounted  actions  in  this  war  have  not  been  many. 
Hah!  I  have  been  envied!  I  have  been  called  op- 
probrious names  by  a  sergeant  of  British  lancers,  out 
of  great  jealousy !  But  that  is  the  way  of  the  British. 
It  happened  later,  when  the  trench  fighting  had  settled 
down  in  earnest  and  my  regiment  and  his  were  wait- 
ing our  turn  behind  the  lines.  He  and  I  sat  together 
on  a  bench  in  a  great  tent,  where  some  French  artists 
gave  us  good  entertainment. 

He  offered  me  tobacco,  which  I  do  not  use,  and 
rum,  which  I  do  not  drink.  He  accepted  sweetmeats 
from  me.    And  he  called  me  a  name  that  would  make 


34  HIRA  SINGH 

the  sahib  gulp,  a  word  that  I  suppose  he  had  picked 
up  from  a  barrack-sweeper  on  the  Bengal  side  of 
India.  Then  he  slapped  me  on  the  back,  and  after 
that  sat  with  his  arm  around  me  while  the  entertain- 
ment lasted.  When  we  left  the  tent  he  swore  roundly 
at  a  newcomer  to  the  front  for  not  saluting  me,  who 
am  not  entitled  to  salute.  That  is  the  way  of  the 
British.  But  I  was  speaking  of  Ranjoor  Singh.  For- 
give me,  sahib. 

The  horse  his  trooper-servant  rode  was  blown  and 
nearly  useless,  so  that  the  trooper  died  that  night  for 
lack  of  a  pair  of  heels,  leaving  us  none  to  question  as 
to  Ranjoor  Singh's  late  doings.  But  Bagh,  Ranjoor 
Singh's  charger,  being  a  marvel  of  a  beast  whom  few 
could  ride  but  he,  was  fresh  enough  and  Ranjoor 
Singh  led  us  like  a  whirlwind  beckoning  a  storm.  I 
judged  his  heart  was  on  fire.  He  led  us  slantwise 
into  a  tight-packed  regiment.  We  rolled  it  over,  and 
he  took  us  beyond  that  into  another  one.  In  the  dark 
he  re-formed  us  (and  few  but  he  could  have  done  that 
then) — lined  us  up  again  with  the  other  squadrons — 
and  brought  us  back  by  the  way  we  had  come.  Then 
he  took  us  the  same  road  a  second  time  against  rem- 
nants of  the  men  who  had  withstood  us  and  into  yet 
another  regiment  that  checked  and  balked  beyond. 
The  Germans  probably  believed  us  ten  times  as  many 
as  we  truly  were,  for  that  one  setback  checked  their 
advance  along  the  whole  line. 

Colonel  Kirby  led  us,  but  I  speak  of  Ranjoor  SingH. 
I  never  once  saw  Colonel  Kirby  until  the  fight  was 
over  and  we  were  back  again  resting  our  horses  be- 
hind the  trees  while  the  roll  was  called.    Throughout 


HIRA  SINGH  35 

the  fight — ^and  I  have  no  idea  whatever  how  long  it 
lasted — I  kept  an  eye  on  Ranjoor  Singh  and  spurred 
in  his  wake,  obeying  the  least  motion  of  his  saber 
No,  sahib,  I  myself  did  not  slay  many  men.  It  is  the 
business  of  a  non-commissioned  man  like  me  to  help 
his  officers  keep  control,  and  I  did  what  I  m^^ht.  I 
was  nearly  killed  by  a  wounded  German  officer  who 
seized  my  bridle-rein;  but  a  trooper's  lance  took  him 
in  the  throat  and  I  rode  on  untouched.  For  all  I 
know  that  was  the  only  danger  I  was  in  that  night. 

A  battle  is  a  strange  thing,  sahib — like  a  dream. 
A  man  only  knows  such  part  of  it  as  crosses  his  own 
vision,  and  remembers  but  little  of  that.  What  he  does 
remember  seldom  tallies  with  what  the  others  saw. 
Talk  with  twenty  of  our  regiment,  and  you  may  get 
twenty  different  versions  of  what  took  place — yet  not 
one  man  would  have  lied  to  you,  except  perhaps  here 
and  there  a  little  in  the  matter  of  his  own  accomplish- 
ment. Doubtless  the  Germans  have  a  thousand  differ- 
ent accounts  of  it. 

I  know  this,  and  the  world  knows  it :  that  night  the 
Germans  melted.  They  were.  Then  they  broke  into 
parties  and  were  not.  We  pursued  them  as  they  ran. 
Suddenly  the  star-shells  ceased  from  bursting  over- 
head, and  out  of  black  darkness  I  heard  Colonel 
Kirby's  voice  thundering  an  order.  Then  a  trumpet 
blared.  Then  I  heard  Ranjoor  Singh's  voice,  high- 
pitched.  Almost  the  next  I  knew  we  were  halted  in 
the  shadow  of  the  trees  again,  calling  low  to  one 
another,  friend's  voice  seeking  friend's.  We  could 
scarcely  hear  the  voices  for  the  thunder  of  artillery 
that  had  begun  again ;  and  whereas  formerly  the  Ger- 


36  HIRA  SINGH 

man  gun-fire  had  been  greatest,  now  we  thought  the 
British  and  French  fire  had  the  better  of  it.  They 
had  been  reen  forced,  but  I  have  no  notion  whence. 

The  infantry,  that  had  drawn  aside  Hke  a  curtain 
to  let  us  through,  had  closed  in  again  to  the  edge  of 
the  forest,  and  through  the  noise  of  rifle-firing  and 
artillery  we  caught  presently  the  thunder  of  new  regi- 
ments advancing  at  the  double.  Thousands  of  our 
Indian  infantry — ^those  who  had  been  in  the  trains 
behind  us — ^were  coming  forward  at  a  run!  God 
knows  that  was  a  night — ^to  make  a  man  glad  he  has 
lived ! 

It  was  not  only  the  Germans  who  had  not  expected 
us.  Now,  sahib,  for  the  first  time  the  British  infantry 
began  to  understand  who  it  was  who  had  come  to 
their  aid,  and  they  began  to  sing — one  song,  all  to- 
gether. The  wounded  sang  it,  too,  and  the  stretcher- 
bearers.  There  came  a  day  when  we  had  our  own 
version  of  that  song,  but  that  night  it  was  new  to  us. 
We  only  caught  a  few  words — ^the  first  words.  The 
sahib  knows  the  words — ^the  first  few  words  ?  It  was 
true  we  had  come  a  long,  long  way ;  but  it  choked  us 
into  silence  to  hear  that  battered  infantry  acknowledge 
it. 

Color  and  creed,  sahib.  What  are  color  and  creed  ? 
The  world  has  mistaken  us  Sikhs  too  long  for  a  breed 
it  can  not  understand.  We  Sikhs  be  men,  with  the 
hearts  of  men ;  and  that  night  we  knew  that  our  hearts 
and  theirs  were  one.  Nor  have  I  met  since  then  the 
fire  that  could  destroy  the  knowledge,  although  ef- 
forts have  been  made,  and  reasons  shown  me. 

But  my  story  is  of  Ranjoor  Singh  and  of  what  he 


HIRA  SINGH  37 

did.  I  but  tell  my  own  part  to  throw  more  light  on 
his.  What  I  did  is  as  nothing.  Of  what  he  did,  you 
shall  be  the  judge- — remembering  this,  that  he  who 
does,  and  he  who  glories  in  the  deed  are  one.  Be  at- 
tentive, sahib ;  this  is  a  tale  of  tales ! 


CHAPTER  II 

Can  the  die  fall  which  side  up  it  will?  Nay,  not 
if  it  be  honest. — Eastern  Proverb. 

Many  a  league  our  infantry  advanced  that  night, 
the  guns  following,  getting  the  new  range  by  a  miracle 
each  time  they  took  new  ground.  We  went  forward, 
too,  at  the  cost  of  many  casualties — ^too  many  in  pro- 
portion to  the  work  we  did.  We  were  fired  on  in  the 
darkness  more  than  once  by  our  own  infantry.  We, 
who  had  lost  but  seventy-two  men  killed  and  wounded 
in  the  charge,  were  short  another  hundred  when  the 
day  broke  and  nothing  to  the  good  by  it. 

Getting  lost  in  the  dark — falling  into  shell-holes — 
swooping  down  on  rear-guards  that  generally  proved 
to  have  machine  guns  with  them — weary  men  on  hun- 
grier, wearier  horses — the  wonder  is  that  a  man  rode 
back  to  tell  of  it  at  dawn. 

One-hundred-and-two-and-seventy  were  our  cas- 
ualties, and  some  two  hundred  horses — some  of  the 
men  so  lightly  wounded  that  they  were  back  in  the 
ranks  within  the  week.  At  dawn  they  sent  us  to  the 
lear  to  rest,  we  being  too  good  a  target  for  the  enemy 
by  daylight.  Some  of  us  rode  two  to  a  horse.  On 
our  way  to  the  camp  the  French  had  pitched  for  us  we 
passed  through  reenforcements  coming  from  another 
section  of  the  front,  who  gave  us  the  right  of  way, 
and  we  took  the  salute  of  two  divisions  of  French 
infantry  who,  I  suppose,  had  been  told  of  the  service 
we  had  rendered.  Said  I  to  Gooja  Singh,  who  sat  on  my 

38 


HIRA  SINGH  39 

horse's  rump,  his  own  beast  being  disemboweled,  ''Who 
speaks  now  of  a  poor  beginning?"  said  I. 

"I  would  rather  see  the  end!"  said  he.  But  he 
never  saw  the  end.  Gooja  Singh  was  ever  too  im- 
patient of  beginnings,  and  too  sure  what  the  end  ought 
to  be,  to  make  certain  of  the  middle  part.  I  have 
known  men  on  outpost  duty  so  far-seeing  that  an 
enemy  had  them  at  his  mercy  if  only  he  could  creep 
close  enough.     And  such  men  are  always  grumblers. 

Gooja  Singh  led  the  grumbling  now — he  who  had 
been  first  to  prophesy  how  we  should  be  turned  into 
infantry.  They  kept  us  at  the  rear,  and  took  away 
our  horses — ^took  even  our  spurs,  making  us  drill  with 
unaccustomed  weapons.  And  I  think  that  the  begin- 
ning of  the  new  distrust  of  Ranjoor  Singh  was  in  re- 
sentment at  his  patience  with  the  bayonet  drill.  We 
soldiers  are  like  women,  sahib,  ever  resentful  of  the 
new — aye,  like  women  in  more  ways  than  one;  for 
whom  we  have  loved  best  we  hate  most  when  the 
change  comes. 

Once,  at  least  a  squadron  of  us  had  loved  Ranjoor 
Singh  to  the  death.  He  was  a  Sikh  of  Sikhs.  It  had 
been  our  boast  that  fire  could  not  burn  his  courage 
nor  love  corrupt  him,  and  I  was  still  of  that  mind; 
but  not  so  the  others.  They  began  to  remember  how 
he  had  stayed  behind  when  we  left  India.  We  had  all 
seen  him  in  disguise,  in  conversation  with  that  German 
by  the  Delhi  Gate.  We  knew  how  busy  he  had  been 
in  the  bazaars  while  the  rumors  flew.  And  the  trooper 
who  had  stayed  behind  with  him,  who  had  joined  us 
with  him  at  the  very  instant  of  the  charge  that  night, 
died  in  the  charge ;  so  that  there  was  none  to  give  ex- 


40  HIRA  SINGH 

planation  of  his  conduct.  Ranjoor  Singh  himself  was 
a  very  rock  for  silence.  Our  British  officers  said 
nothing,  doubtless  not  suspecting  the  distrust;  for  it 
was  a  byword  that  Ranjoor  Singh  held  the  honor  of 
the  squadron  in  his  hand.  Yet  of  all  the  squadron 
only  the  officers  and  I  now  trusted  him — the  Sikh 
officers  because  they  imitated  the  British;  the  British 
because  faith  is  a  habit  with  them,  once  pledged,  and 
I — God  knows.  There  were  hours  when  I  did  distrust 
him — black  hours,  best  forgotten. 

The  war  settled  down  into  a  siege  of  trenches, 
and  soon  we  were  given  a  section  of  a  trench  to  hold. 
Little  by  little  we  grew  wise  at  the  business  of  tossing 
explosives  over  blind  banks — ^we,  who  would  rather 
have  been  at  it  with  the  lance  and  saber.  Yet,  can  a 
die  fall  which  side  up  it  will?  Nay,  not  if  it  be  hon- 
est! We  were  there  to  help.  We  who  had  carried 
coal  could  shovel  mud,  and  as  time  went  on  we 
grumbled  less. 

But  time  hung  heavy,  and  curiosity  regarding  Ran- 
joor Singh  led  from  one  conjecture  to  another.  At 
last  Gooja  Singh  asked  Captain  Fellowes,  and  he  said 
that  Ranjoor  Singh  had  stayed  behind  to  expose  a 
German  plot — that  having  done  so,  he  had  hurried 
after  us.  That  explanation  ought  to  have  satisfied 
every  one,  and  I  think  it  did  for  a  time.  But  who 
could  hide  from  such  a  man  as  Ranjoor  Singh  that 
the  squadron's  faith  in  him  was  gone?  That  knowl- 
edge made  him  savage.  How  should  we  know  that  he 
had  been  forbidden  to  tell  us  what  had  kept  him? 
When  he  set  aside  his  pride  and  made  us  overtures, 
there  was  no  response ;  so  his  heart  hardened  in  him. 


HIRA  SINGH  41 

Secrecy  is  good.  Secrecy  is  better  than  all  the  lame 
explanations  in  the  world.  But  in  this  war  there  has 
been  too  much  secrecy  in  the  wrong  place.  They 
should  have  let  him  line  us  up  and  tell  us  his  whole 
story.  But  later,  when  perhaps  he  might  have  done 
it,  either  his  pride  was  too  great  or  his  sense  of  obe- 
dience too  tightly  spun.  To  this  day  he  has  never  told 
us.    Not  that  it  matters. 

The  subtlest  fool  is  the  worst,  and  Gooja  Singh's 
tongue  did  not  lack  subtlety  on  occasion.  He  made 
it  his  business  to  remind  the  squadron  daily  of  its 
doubts,  and  I,  who  should  have  known  better,  laughed 
at  some  of  the  things  he  said  and  agreed  with  others. 
One  is  the  fool  who  speaks  with  him  who  listens.  I 
have  never  been  rebuked  for  it  by  Ranjoor  Singh, 
and  more  than  once  since  that  day  he  has  seen  fit  to 
praise  me;  but  in  that  hour  when  most  he  needed 
friends  I  became  his  half-friend,  which  is  worse  than 
enemy.  I  never  raised  my  voice  once  in  defense  of 
him  in  those  days. 

Meanwhile  Ranjoor  Singh  grew  very  wise  at  this 
trench  warfare.  Colonel  Kirby  and  the  other  British 
officers  taking  great  comfort  in  his  cunning.  It  was 
he  who  led  us  to  tie  strings  to  the  German  wire  en- 
tanglements, which  we  then  jerked  from  our  trench, 
causing  them  to  lie  awake  and  waste  much  ammuni- 
tion. It  was  he  who  thought  of  dressing  turbans  on 
the  end  of  poles  and  thrusting  them  forward  at  the 
hour  before  dawn  when  fear  and  chill  and  darkness 
have  done  their  worst  work.  That  started  a  panic 
that  cost  the  Germans  eighty  men. 

I  think  his  leadership  would  have  won  the  squad- 


42  HIRA  SINGH 

ron  back  to  love  him.  I  know  it  saved  his  life.  We 
had  all  heard  tales  of  how  the  British  soldiers  in 
South  Africa  made  short  work  of  the  officers  they 
did  not  love,  and  it  would  have  been  easy  to  make  an 
end  of  Ranjoor  Singh  on  any  dark  night.  But  he  led 
too  well;  men  were  afraid  to  take  the  responsibility 
lest  the  others  turn  on  them.  One  night  I  overheard 
two  troopers  considering  the  thought,  and  they  sus- 
pected I  had  overheard.  I  said  nothing,  but  they  were 
afraid,  as  I  knew  they  would  be.  Has  the  sahib  ever 
heard  of  "left-hand  casualties"  ?    I  will  explain. 

We  Sikhs  have  a  saying  that  in  fear  there  is  no 
wisdom.  None  can  be  wise  and  afraid.  None  can 
be  afraid  and  wise.  The  men  at  the  front,  both  Indian 
and  British — French,  too,  for  aught  I  know — ^who 
feared  to  fight  longer  in  the  trenches  were  seized  in 
those  early  days  with  the  foolish  thought  of  inflicting 
some  injury  on  themselves — not  very  severe,  but 
enough  to  cause  a  spell  of  absence  at  the  base  and  a 
rest  in  hospital.  Folly  being  the  substance  of  that 
idea,  and  most  men  being  right-handed,  such  self- 
inflicted  wounds  were  practically  always  in  the  hand  or 
foot  and  always  on  the  left  side.  The  ambulance  men 
knew  them  on  the  instant. 

Those  two  fools  of  my  squadron  wounded  them- 
selves with  bullets  in  the  left  hand,  forgetting  that 
their  palms  would  be  burned  by  the  discharge.  I  was 
sent  to  the  rear  to  give  evidence  against  them  (for  I 
saw  them  commit  the  foolishness).  The  cross-ex- 
amination we  all  three  underwent  was  clever — at  the 
hands  of  a  young  British  captain,  who,  I  dare  swear, 
was  suckled  by  a  Sikh  nurse  in  the  Punjab.    In  less 


HIRA  SINGH  43 

than  thirty  minutes  he  had  the  whole  story  out  of  us ; 
and  the  two  troopers  were  shot  that  evening  for  an 
example. 

That  young  captain  was  greatly  impressed  with 
the  story  we  had  told  about  Ranjoor  Singh,  and  he 
called  me  back  afterward  and  asked  me  a  hundred 
questions  more — until  he  must  have  known  the  very 
color  of  my  entrails  and  I  knew  not  which  way  I 
faced.  To  all  of  this  a  senior  officer  of  the  Intelli- 
gence Department  listened  with  both  ears,  and  pres- 
ently he  and  the  captain  talked  together. 

The  long  and  short  of  that  was  that  Ranjoor  Singh 
was  sent  for ;  and  when  he  returned  to  the  trench  after 
two  days'  absence  it  was  to  work  independently  of 
us — from  our  trench,  but  irrespective  of  our  doings. 
Even  Colonel  Kirby  now  had  no  orders  to  give  him, 
although  they  two  talked  long  and  at  frequent  inter- 
vals in  the  place  Colonel  Kirby  called  his  funk-hole. 
It  was  now  that  the  squadron's  reawakening  love  for 
Ranjoor  Singh  received  the  worst  check  of  any.  We 
had  almost  forgotten  he  knew  German.  Hencefor- 
ward he  conversed  in  German  each  day  with  the 
enemy. 

It  is  a  strange  thing,  sahib, — ^not  easy  to  explain — 
but  I,  who  have  achieved  some  fluency  in  English  and 
might  therefore  have  admired  his  gift  of  tongues,  now 
began  to  doubt  him  in  earnest — ^hating  myself  the 
while,  but  doubting  him.  And  Gooja  Singh,  who  had 
talked  the  most  and  dropped  the  blackest  hints  against 
him,  now  began  to  take  his  side. 

And  Ranjoor  Singh  said  nothing.  Night  after 
night  he  went  to  lie  at  the  point  where  our  trench 


44  HIRA  SINGH 

and  the  enemy's  lay  closest.  There  he  would  talk 
with  some  one  whom  we  never  saw,  while  we  sat 
shivering  in  the  mud.  Cold  we  can  endure,  sahib, 
as  readily  as  any;  it  is  colder  in  winter  where  I  come 
from  than  anything  I  felt  in  Flanders;  but  the  rain 
and  the  mud  depressed  our  spirits,  until  with  these 
two  eyes  I  have  seen  grown  men  weeping. 

They  kept  us  at  work  to  encourage  us.  Our  spells 
in  the  trench  were  shortened  and  our  rests  at  the 
rear  increased  to  the  utmost  possible.  Only  Ranjoor 
Singh  took  no  vacation,  remaining  ever  on  the  watch, 
passing  from  one  trench  to  another,  conversing  ever 
with  the  enemy. 

We  dug  and  they  dug,  each  side  laboring  everlast- 
ingly to  find  the  other's  listening  places  and  to  blow 
them  up  by  means  of  mining,  so  that  the  earth  became 
a  very  rat-run.  Above-ground,  where  were  only  ruin 
and  barbed  wire,  there  was  no  sign  of  activity,  but 
only  a  great  stench  that  came  from  bodies  none  dared 
bury.  We  were  thankful  that  the  wind  blew  oftenest 
from  us  to  them;  but  whichever  way  the  wind  blew 
Ranjoor  Singh  knew  no  rest.  He  was  ever  to  be 
found  where  the  lines  lay  closest  at  the  moment,  either 
listening  or  talking.  We  understood  very  well  that 
he  was  carrying  out  orders  given  him  at  the  rear,  but 
that  did  not  make  the  squadron  or  the  regiment  like 
him  any  better,  and  as  far  as  that  went  I  was  one 
with  them ;  I  hated  to  see  a  squadron  leader  stoop  to 
such  intrigues. 

It  was  plain  enough  that  some  sort  of  intrigue  was 
making  headway,  for  the  Germans  soon  began  to  toss 
over  into  our  trench  bundles  of  printed  pamphlets, 


HIRA  SINGH  45 

explaining  in  our  tongue  why  they  were  our  best 
friends  and  why  therefore  we  should  refuse  to  wage 
war  on  them.  They  threw  printed  bulletins  that  said, 
in  good  Punjabi,  there  was  revolution  from  end  to 
end  of  India,  rioting  in  England,  utter  disaster  to  the 
British  fleet,  and  that  our  way  home  again  to  India 
had  been  cut  by  the  German  war-ships.  They  must 
have  been  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  we  received  our 
mail  from  India  regularly.  I  have  noticed  this  about 
the  Germans:  they  are  unable  to  convince  themselves 
that  any  other  people  can  appreciate  the  same  things 
they  appreciate,  think  as  swiftly  as  they,  or  despise 
the  terrors  they  despise.  That  is  one  reason  why  they 
must  lose  this  war.    But  there  are  others  also. 

One  afternoon,  when  I  was  pretending  to  doze  in 
a  niche  near  the  entrance  to  Colonel  Kirby's  funk-hole, 
I  became  possessed  of  the  key  to  it  all;  for  Colonel 
Kirby's  voice  was  raised  more  than  once  in  anger.  I 
understood  at  last  how  Ranjoor  Singh  had  orders  to 
deceive  the  Germans  as  to  our  state  of  mind.  He  was 
to  make  them  believe  we  were  growing  mutinous  and 
that  the  leaven  only  needed  time  in  which  to  work; 
this  of  course  for  the  purpose  of  throwing  them  off 
their  guard. 

My  heart  stopped  beating  while  I  listened,  for  what 
man  hears  his  honor  smirched  without  wincing?  Even 
so  I  think  I  would  have  held  my  tongue,  only  that 
Gooja  Singh,  who  dozed  in  a  niche  on  the  other  side 
of  the  funk-hole  entrance,  heard  the  same  as  I. 

Said  Gooja  Singh  that  evening  to  the  troopers 
round  about:  "They  chose  well,"  said  he.  "They 
picked  a  brave  man — a  clever  man,  for  a  desperate 


46  HIRA  SINGH 

venture!"  And  when  the  troopers  asked  what  that 
might  mean,  he  asked  how  many  of  them  in  the  Pun- 
jab had  seen  a  goat  tied  to  a  stake  to  lure  a  panther. 
The  suggestion  made  them  think.  Then,  pretending 
to  praise  him,  letting  fall  no  word  that  could  be  thrown 
back  in  his  teeth,  he  condemned  Ranjoor  Singh  for  a 
worse  traitor  than  any  had  yet  believed  him.  Gooja 
Singh  was  a  man  with  a  certain  subtlety.  A  man  with 
two  tongues,  very  dangerous. 

"Ranjoor  Singh  is  brave,"  said  he,  "for  he  is  not 
afraid  to  sacrifice  us  all.  Many  officers  are  afraid  to 
lose  too  many  men  in  the  gaining  of  an  end,  but  not 
so  he.  He  is  clever,  for  who  else  would  have  thought 
of  making  us  seem  despicable  to  the  Germans  in  order 
to  tempt  them  to  attack  in  force  at  this  point  ?  Have 
ye  not  noticed  how  to  our  rear  all  is  being  made  ready 
for  the  defense  and  for  a  counter-attack  to  follow? 
We  are  the  bait.  The  battle  is  to  be  waged  over  our 
dead  bodies." 

I  corrected  him.  I  said  I  had  heard  as  well  as  he, 
and  that  Colonel  Kirby  was  utterly  angry  at  the 
defamation  of  those  whom  he  was  ever  pleased  to  call 
"his  Sikhs."  But  that  convinced  nobody,  although  it 
did  the  colonel  sahib  no  harm  in  the  regiment's  opin- 
ion— ^not  that  he  needed  advocates.  We  were  all  ready 
to  die  around  Colonel  Kirby  at  any  minute.  Even 
Gooja  Singh  was  ready  to  do  that. 

"Does  the  colonel  sahib  accept  the  situation?"  one 
of  the  troopers  asked. 

"Aye,  for  he  must,"  said  Gooja  Singh;  and  I 
could  not  deny  it.  "Ranjoor  Singh  went  over  his  head 
and  orders  have  come  from  the  rear."    I  could  not 


HIRA  SINGH  47 

deny  that  either,  although  I  did  not  believe  it.  How 
should  I,  or  any  one,  know  what  passed  after  Ran- 
joor  Singh  had  been  sent  for  by  the  Intelligence  offi- 
cers ?  I  was  his  half -friend  in  those  days,  sahib.  Worse 
than  his  enemy — unwilling  to  take  part  against  him, 
yet  unready  to  speak  up  in  his  defense.  Doubtless  my 
silence  went  for  consent  among  the  troopers. 

The  end  of  the  discussion  found  men  unafraid. 
"If  the  colonel  sahib  is  willing  to  be  bait,"  said  they, 
"then  so  be  we,  but  let  us  see  to  it  that  none  hang 
back."  And  so  the  whole  regiment  made  up  its  mind 
to  die  desperately,  yet  with  many  a  sidewise  glance 
at  Ranjoor  Singh,  who  was  watched  more  carefully 
than  I  think  he  guessed  in  those  days.  If  he  had  tried 
to  slip  back  to  the  rear  it  would  have  been  the  end 
of  him.    But  he  continued  with  us. 

And  all  this  while  a  great  force  gathered  at  our 
rear — ^gathered  and  grew — Indian  and  British  in- 
fantry. Guns  by  the  fifty  were  brought  forward  under 
cover  of  the  night  and  placed  in  Hne  behind  us.  Ran- 
joor Singh  continued  talking  with  the  enemy,  lying 
belly  downward  in  the  mud,  and  they  kept  throwing 
printed  stuff  to  us  that  we  turned  in  to  our  officers. 
But  the  Germans  did  not  attack.  And  the  force  be- 
hind us  grew. 

Then  one  evening,  just  after  dusk,  we  were  all 
amazed  by  the  news  that  the  assault  was  to  come  from 
our  side.  And  almost  before  that  news  had  reached 
us  the  guns  at  our  rear  began  their  overture,  making 
preparation  beyond  the  compass  of  a  man's  mind  to 
grasp  or  convey.  They  hurled  such  a  torrent  of  shells 
that  the  Germans  could  neither  move  away  the  troops 


48  HIRA  SINGH 

in  front  of  us  nor  bring  up  others  to  their  aid.  It  did 
not  seem  possible  that  one  German  could  be  left  alive, 
and  I  even  felt  jealous  because,  thought  I,  no  work 
would  be  left  for  us  to  do !  Yet  men  did  live — as  we 
discovered.  For  a  night  and  a  day  our  ordnance  kept 
up  that  preparation,  and  then  word  went  around. 

Who  shall  tell  of  a  night  attack,  from  a  trench 
against  trenches  ?  Suddenly  the  guns  ceased  pounding 
the  earth  in  front  of  us  and  lifted  to  make  a  screen  of 
fire  almost  a  mile  beyond.  There  was  instant  pitch 
darkness  on  every  hand,  and  out  of  that  a  hundred 
trumpets  sounded.  Instantly,  each  squadron  leader 
leaped  the  earthwork,  shouting  to  his  men.  Ranjoor 
Singh  leaped  up  in  front  of  us,  and  we  followed  him,  all 
forgetting  their  distrust  of  him  in  the  fierce  excitement 
" — remembering  only  how  he  had  led  us  in  the  charge 
on  that  first  night.  The  air  was  thick  with  din,  and 
fumes,  and  flying  metal — for  the  Germans  were  not 
forgetting  to  use  artillery.  I  ceased  to  think  of  any- 
thing but  going  forward.    Who  shall  describe  it? 

Once  in  Bombay  I  heard  a  Christian  preacher  tell 
of  the  Judgment  Day  to  come,  when  graves  shall  give 
up  their  dead.  That  is  not  our  Sikh  idea  of  judgment, 
but  his  words  brought  before  my  mind  a  picture  not 
so  much  unlike  a  night  attack  in  Flanders.  He  spoke 
of  the  whole  earth  trembling  and  consumed  by  fire — 
of  thunder  and  lightning  and  a  great  long  trumpet 
call — of  the  dead  leaping  alive  again  from  the  graves 
where  they  lay  buried.  Not  a  poor  picture,  sahib,  of 
a  night  attack  in  Flanders ! 

The  first  line  of  German  trenches,  and  the  second 
had  been  pounded  out  of  being  by  our  guns.     The 


HIRA  SINGH  49 

barbed  wire  had  been  cut  into  fragments  by  our  shrap- 
nel. Here  and  there  an  arm  or  a  leg  protruded  from 
the  ground — ^here  and  there  a  head.  For  two  hun- 
dred yards  and  perhaps  more  there  was  nothing  to 
oppose  us,  except  the  enemy  shells  bursting  so  con- 
stantly that  we  seemed  to  breathe  splintered  metal. 
Yet  very  few  were  hit.  The  din  was  so  great  that  it 
seemed  to  be  silence.  We  were  phantom  men,  going 
forward  without  sound  of  footfall.  I  could  neither 
feel  nor  think  for  the  first  two  hundred  yards,  but 
ran  with  my  bayonet  out  in  front  of  me.  And  then 
I  did  feel.  A  German  bayonet  barked  my  knuckles. 
After  that  there  was  fighting  such  as  I  hope  never  to 
know  again. 

The  Germans  did  not  seem  to  have  been  taken  by 
surprise  at  all.  They  had  made  ample  preparation. 
And  as  for  holding  us  in  contempt,  they  gave  no  evi- 
dence of  that.  Their  wounded  were  unwilling  to  sur- 
render because  their  officers  had  given  out  we  would 
torture  prisoners.  We  had  to  pounce  on  them,  and 
cut  their  buttons  off  and  slit  their  boots,  so  that  they 
must  use  both  hands  to  hold  their  trousers  up  and 
could  not  run.  And  that  took  time  so  that  we  lagged 
behind  a  little,  for  we  took  more  prisoners  than  the 
regiments  to  right  and  left  of  us.  The  Dogra  regiment 
to  our  left  and  the  Gurkha  regiment  to  our  right 
gained  on  us  fast,  and  we  became,  as  it  were,  the 
center  of  a  new  moon. 

But  then  in  the  light  of  bursting  shells  we  saw 
Colonel  Kirby  and  Ranjoor  Singh  and  Captain  Fel- 
lowes  and  some  other  officers  far  out  in  front  of  us 
beckoning — calling  on  us  for  our  greatest  effort.    We 


50  HIRA  SINGH 

answered.  We  swept  forward  after  them  into  the 
teeth  of  all  the  inventions  in  the  world.  Mine  after 
mine  exploded  under  our  very  feet.  Shrapnel  burst 
among  us.  There  began  to  be  uncut  wire,  and  men 
Tushed  out  at  us  from  trenches  that  we  thought  ob- 
literated, but  that  proved  only  to  have  been  hidden 
under  debris  by  our  gun-fire.  Shadows  resolved  into 
trenches  defended  by  machine  guns. 

But  we  went  forward — cavalry,  without  a  spur 
among  us — cavalry  with  rifles — cavalry  on  foot — in- 
fantry with  the  fire  and  the  drill  and  the  thoughts  of 
cavalry — still  cavalry  at  heart,  for  all  the  weapons  they 
had  given  us  and  the  trench  life  we  had  lived.  We 
remembered,  sahib,  that  the  Germans  had  been  edu- 
cated lately  to  despise  us,  and  we  were  out  that  night 
to  convert  them  to  a  different  opinion!  It  seemed 
good  to  D  Squadron  that  Ranjoor  Singh,  who  had 
done  the  defamation,  should  lead  us  to  the  clearing  of 
our  name.    Nothing  could  stop  us  that  night. 

Whereas  we  had  been  last  in  the  advance,  we 
charged  into  the  lead  and  held  it.  We  swept  on  I 
know  not  how  far,  but  very  far  beyond  the  wings. 
No  means  had  been  devised  that  I  know  of  for  check- 
ing the  distance  covered,  and  I  suppose  Headquarters 
timed  the  attack  and  tried  to  judge  how  far  the  ad- 
vance had  carried,  with  the  aid  of  messengers  sent 
running  back.    No  easy  task ! 

At  all  events  we  lost  touch  with  the  regiments  to 
right  and  left,  but  kept  touch  with  the  enemy,  pressing 
forward  until  suddenly  our  own  shell-fire  ceased  to 
fall  in  front  of  us  but  resumed  pounding  toward  our 
rear.    They  call  such  a  fire  a  barrage,  sahib.    Its  pur- 


HIRA  SINGH  51 

pose  is  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  making  a  counter- 
attack until  the  infantry  can  dig  themselves  in  and 
secure  the  new  ground  won.  That  meant  we  were 
isolated.  It  needed  no  staff  officer  to  tell  us  that,  or 
to  bring  us  to  otir  senses.  We  were  like  men  who 
wake  from  a  nightmare,  to  find  the  truth  more  dread- 
ful than  the  dream. 

Colonel  Kirby  was  wounded  a  little,  and  sat  while 
a  risaldar  bound  his  arm.  Ranjoor  Singh  found  a 
short  trench  half  full  of  water,  and  ordered  us  into  it. 
Although  we  had  not  realized  it  until  then,  it  was 
raining  torrents,  and  the  Germans  we  drove  out  of 
that  trench  (there  were  but  a  few  of  them)  were 
wetter  than  water  rats ;  but  we  had  to  scramble  down 
into  it,  and  the  cold  bath  finished  what  the  sense  of 
isolation  had  begun.  We  were  sober  men  when  Kirby 
sahib  scrambled  in  last  and  ordered  us  to  begin  on 
the  trench  at  once  with  picks  and  shovels  that  the 
Germans  had  left  behind.  We  altered  the  trench  so 
that  it  faced  both  ways,  and  waited  shivering  for  the 
dawn. 

Let  it  not  be  supposed,  however,  sahib,  that  we 
waited  unmolested.  The  Germans  are  not  that  kind 
of  warrior.  I  hold  no  brief  for  them,  but  I  tell  no 
lies  about  them,  either.  They  fight  with  persistence, 
bravery,  and  what  they  consider  to  be  cunning.  We 
were  under  rifle-fire  at  once  from  before  and  behind 
and  the  flanks,  and  our  own  artillery  began  pounding 
the  ground  so  close  to  us  that  fragments  of  shell  and 
shrapnel  flew  over  our  heads  incessantly,  and  great 
clods  of  earth  came  thumping  and  splashing  into  our 
trench,  compelling  us  to  keep  busy  with  the  shovels. 


52  HIRA  SINGH 

Nor  did  the  German  artillery  omit  to  make  a  target 
of  us,  though  with  poor  success.  More  than  the  half 
of  us  lived ;  and  to  prove  that  there  had  been  thought 
as  well  as  bravery  that  night  we  had  plenty  of  ammu- 
nition with  us.  We  were  troubled  to  stow  the  am- 
munition out  of  the  wet,  yet  where  it  would  be  safe 
from  the  German  fire. 

We  made  no  reply  to  the  shell-fire,  for  that  would 
have  been  foolishness ;  so,  doubtless  thinking  they  had 
the  range  not  quite  right,  or  perhaps  supposing  that 
we  had  been  annihilated,  the  enemy  discontinued  shell- 
ing us  and  devoted  their  attention  to  our  friends  be- 
yond. But  at  the  same  time  a  battalion  of  infantry 
began  to  feel  its  way  toward  us  and  we  grew  very  busy 
with  our  rifles,  the  wounded  crawling  through  the  wet 
to  pass  the  cartridges.  Once  there  was  a  bayonet 
charge,  which  we  repelled. 

Those  who  had  not  thrown  away  their  knapsacks 
to  lighten  themselves  had  their  emergency  rations,  but 
about  half  of  us  had  nothing  to  eat  whatever.  It  was 
perfectly  evident  to  all  of  us  from  the  very  first  that 
unless  we  should  receive  prompt  aid  at  dawn  our  case 
was  as  hopeless  as  death  itself.  So  much  the  more 
reason  for  stout  hearts,  said  we,  and  our  bearing  put 
new  heart  into  our  officers. 

When  dawn  came  the  sight  was  not  inspiriting. 
Dawn  amid  a  waste  of  Flanders  mud,  seen  through  a 
rain-storm,  is  not  a  joyous  spectacle  in  any  case.  Con- 
sider, sahib,  what  a  sunny  land  we  came  from,  and 
pass  no  hasty  judgment  on  us  if  our  spirits  sank.  It 
was  the  weather,  not  the  danger  that  depressed  us.  I, 
who  was  near  the  center  of  the  trench,  could  see  to 


HIRA  SINGH  53 

right  and  left  over  the  ends,  and  I  made  a  hasty  count 
of  heads,  discovering  that  we,  who  had  been  a  regi- 
ment, were  now  about  three  hundred  men,  forty  of 
whom  were  wounded. 

I  saw  that  we  were  many  a  hundred  yards  away 
from  the  nearest  British  trench.  The  Germans  had 
crept  under  cover  of  the  darkness  and  dug  themselves 
in  anew  between  us  and  our  friends.  Before  us  was  a 
trench  full  of  infantry,  and  there  were  others  to  right 
and  left.  We  were  completely  surrounded;  and  it 
was  not  an  hour  after  dawn  when  the  enemy  began  to 
shout  to  us  to  show  our  hands  and  surrender.  Colonel 
Kirby  forbade  us  to  answer  them,  and  we  lay  still  as 
dead  men  until  they  threw  bombs — -which  we  answered 
with  bullets. 

After  that  we  were  left  alone  for  an  hour  or  two, 
and  Colonel  Kirby,  whose  wound  was  not  serious, 
began  passing  along  the  trench,  knee-deep  in  the 
muddy  water,  to  inspect  us  and  count  us  and  give  each 
man  encouragement.  It  was  just  as  he  passed  close 
to  me  that  a  hand-grenade  struck  him  in  the  thigh 
and  exploded.  He  fell  forward  on  me,  and  I  took 
him  across  my  knee  lest  he  fall  into  the  water  and  be 
smothered.  That  is  how  it  happened  that  only  I  over- 
heard what  he  said  to  Ranjoor  Singh  before  he  died. 
Several  others  tried  to  hear,  for  we  loved  Colonel 
Kirby  as  sons  love  their  father ;  but,  since  he  lay  with 
his  head  on  my  shoulder,  my  ear  was  as  close  to  his 
lips  as  Ranjoor  Singh's,  to  whom  he  spoke,  so  that 
Ranjoor  Singh  and  I  heard  and  the  rest  did  not.  Later 
I  told  the  others,  but  they  chose  to  disbelieve  me. 

Ranjoor  Singh   came  wading  along  the  trench, 


54  HIRA  SINGH 

stumbling  over  men's  feet  In  his  hurry  and  nearly 
falling  just  as  he  reached  us,  so  that  for  the  moment 
I  thought  he  too  had  been  shot.  Besides  Colonel 
Kirby,  who  was  dying  in  my  arms,  he,  and  Captain 
Fellowes,  and  one  other  risaldar  were  our  only  re- 
maining officers.  Colonel  Kirby  was  in  great  pain,  so 
that  his  words  were  not  in  his  usual  voice  but  forced 
through  clenched  teeth,  and  Ranjoor  Singh  had  to 
stoop  to  listen. 

"Shepherd  'em!"  said  Colonel  Kirby.  "Shepherd 
*em,  Ranjoor  Singh !"  My  ear  was  close  and  I  heard 
each  word.  "A  bad  business.  They  did  not  know 
enough  to  listen  to  you  at  Headquarters.  Don't  waste 
time  blaming  anybody.  Pray  for  wisdom,  and  fear 
nothing!  You're  in  command  now.  Take  over. 
Shepherd  'em !     Good-by,  old  friend !" 

"Good-by,  Colonel  sahib,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  and 
Kirby  sahib  died  in  that  moment,  having  shed  the  half 
of  his  blood  over  me.  Ranjoor  Singh  and  I  laid  him 
along  a  ledge  above  the  water  and  it  was  not  very 
long  before  a  chance  shell  dropped  near  and  buried 
him  under  a  ton  of  earth.    Yes,  sahib,  a  British  shell. 

Presently  Ranjoor  Singh  waded  along  the  trench 
to  have  word  with  Captain  Fellowes,  who  was 
wounded  rather  badly.  I  made  busy  with  the  men 
about  me,  making  them  stand  where  they  could  see 
best  with  least  risk  of  exposure  and  ordering  spade 
work  here  and  there.  It  is  a  strange  thing,  sahib,  but 
I  have  never  seen  it  otherwise,  that  spade  work— ^ 
which  is  surely  the  most  important  thing — is  the  last 
thing  troopers  will  attend  to  unless  compelled.  They 
will  comb  their  beards,  and  decorate  the  trench  with 


HIRA  SINGH  55 

colored  stones  and  draw  names  in  the  mud,  but  the 
all-important  digging  waits.  Sikh  and  Gurkha  and 
British  and  French  are  all  alike  in  that  respect. 

When  Ranjoor  Singh  came  back  from  his  talk  with 
Captain  Fellowes  he  sent  me  to  the  right  wing  under 
our  other  risaldar,  and  after  he  was  killed  by  a  grenade 
I  was  in  command  of  the  right  wing  of  our  trench. 

The  three  days  that  followed  have  mostly  gone 
from  memory,  that  being  the  way  of  evil.  If  men 
could  remember  pain  and  misery  they  would  refuse  to 
live  because  of  the  risk  of  more  of  it ;  but  hope  springs 
ever  anew  out  of  wretchedness  like  sprouts  on  the 
burned  land,  and  the  ashes  are  forgotten.  I  do  not 
remember  much  of  those  three  days. 

There  was  nothing  to  eat.  There  began  to  be  a 
smell.  There  was  worse  than  nothing  to  drink,  for 
thirst  took  hold  of  us,  yet  the  water  in  the  trench  was 
all  pollution.  The  smell  made  us  wish  to  vomit,  yet 
what  could  the  empty  do  but  desire?  Corpses  lay  all 
around  us.  No,  sahib,  not  the  dead  of  the  night  be- 
fore's  fighting.  Have  I  not  said  that  the  weather  was 
cold?  The  bombardment  by  our  own  guns  preceding 
our  attack  had  torn  up  graves  that  were  I  know  not 
how  old.  When  we  essayed  to  re-bury  some  bodies 
the  Germans  drove  us  back  under  cover. 

That  night,  and  the  next,  several  attempts  were 
made  to  rush  us,  but  under  Ranjoor  Singh's  command 
we  beat  them  off.  He  was  wakeful  as  the  stars  and 
as  unexcited.  Obedience  to  him  was  so  comforting 
that  men  forgot  for  the  time  their  suspicion  and  dis- 
trust. When  dawn  came  there  were  more  dead  bodies 
round  about,  and  some  wounded  who  called  piteously 


S6  HIRA  SINGH 

for  help.  The  Germans  crawled  out  to  help  their 
wounded,  but  Ranjoor  Singh  bade  us  drive  them  back 
and  we  obeyed. 

Then  the  Germans  began  shouting  to  us,  and  Ran- 
joor Singh  answered  them.  If  he  had  answered  in 
English,  so  that  most  of  us  could  have  understood, 
all  would  surely  have  been  well ;  I  am  certain  that  in 
that  case  the  affection,  returning  because  of  his  fine 
leadership,  would  have  destroyed  the  memory  of  sus- 
picion. But  I  suppose  it  had  become  habit  with  him 
to  talk  to  the  enemy  in  German  by  that  time,  and  as 
the  words  we  could  not  understand  passed  back  and 
forth  even  I  began  to  hate  him.  Yet  he  drove  a  good 
bargain  for  us. 

Instead  of  hand-grenades  the  Germans  began  to 
throw  bread  to  us— -great,  flat,  army  loaves,  Ranjoor 
Singh  not  showing  himself,  but  counting  aloud  as  each 
loaf  came  over,  we  catching  with  great  anxiety  lest 
they  fall  into  the  water  and  be  polluted.  It  took  a 
long  time,  but  v/hen  there  was  a  good  dry  loaf  for 
each  man,  Ranjoor  Singh  gave  the  Germans  leave  to 
come  and  carry  in  their  wounded,  and  bade  us  hold 
our  fire.  Gooja  Singh  was  for  playing  a  trick  but  the 
troopers  near  him  murmured  and  Ranjoor  Singh 
threatened  him  with  death  if  he  dared.  He  never 
forgot  that. 

The  Germans  who  came  to  fetch  the  wounded 
laughed  at  us,  but  Ranjoor  Singh  forbade  us  to  an- 
swer, and  Captain  Fellowes  backed  him  up. 

"There  will  be  another  attack  from  our  side  pres- 
ently," said  Captain  Fellowes,  "and  our  friends  will 
answer  for  us." 


HIRA  SINGH  57 

I  shuddered  at  that.  I  remembered  the  bombard- 
ment that  preceded  our  first  advance.  Better  die  at 
the  hands  of  the  enemy,  thought  I.  But  I  said  noth- 
ing. Presently,  however,  a  new  thought  came  to  me, 
iand  I  called  to  Ranjoor  Singh  along  the  trench. 

"You  should  have  made  a  better  bargain,"  said  I. 
**You  should  have  compelled  them  to  care  for  our 
wounded  before  they  were  allowed  to  take  their  own !" 

"I  demanded,  but  they  refused,"  he  answered,  and 
then  I  wished  I  had  bitten  out  my  tongue  rather  than 
speak,  for  although  I  believed  his  answer,  the  rest  of 
the  men  did  not.  There  began  to  be  new  murmuring 
against  him,  led  by  Gooja  Singh;  but  Gooja  Singh 
was  too  subtle  to  be  convicted  of  the  responsibility. 

Captain  Fellowes  grew  aware  of  the  murmuring 
and  made  much  show  thenceforward  of  his  faith  in 
Ranjoor  Singh.  He  was  weak  from  his  wound  and 
was  attended  constantly  by  two  men,  so  that  although 
he  kept  command  of  the  left  wing  and  did  ably  he 
could  not  shout  loud  enough  to  be  heard  very  far,  and 
he  had  to  send  messages  to  Ranjoor  Singh  from  mouth 
to  mouth.  His  evident  approval  had  somewhat  the 
effect  of  subduing  the  men's  resentment,  although  not 
much,  and  when  he  died  that  night  there  was  none  left, 
save  I,  to  lend  our  leader  countenance.  And  I  was 
only  his  half-friend,  without  enough  merit  in  my  heart 
truly  to  be  the  right-hand  man  I  was  by  right  of  se- 
niority. I  was  willing  enough  to  die  at  his  back,  but 
not  to  share  contempt  with  him. 

The  day  passed  and  there  came  another  day,  when 
the  bread  was  done,  and  there  were  no  more  German 
wounded  straddled  in  the  mud  over  whom  to  strike 


58  HIRA  SINGH 

new  bargains.  It  had  ceased  raining,  so  we  could 
catch  no  rain  to  drink.  We  were  growing  weak  from 
weariness  and  want  of  sleep,  and  we  demanded  of 
Ranjoor  Singh  that  he  lead  us  back  toward  the  British 
lines. 

"We  should  perish  on  the  way,"  said  he. 

"What  of  it?"  we  answered,  I  with  the  rest.  "Bet- 
ter that  than  this  vulture's  death  in  a  graveyard !" 

But  he  shook  his  head  and  ordered  us  to  try  to 
think  like  men.  "The  life  of  a  Sikh,"  said  he,  "and 
the  oath  of  a  Sikh  are  one.  We  swore  to  serve  our 
friends.  To  try  to  cut  our  way  back  would  be  but  to 
die  for  our  own  comfort." 

"You  should  have  led  us  back  that  first  night, 
when  the  attack  was  spent,"  said  Gooja  Singh. 

"I  was  not  in  command  that  first  night,"  Ranjoor 
Singh  answered  him,  and  who  could  gainsay  that  ? 

At  irregular  intervals  British  shells  began  burst- 
ing near  us,  and  we  all  knew  what  they  were.  The 
batteries  were  feeling  for  the  range.  They  would  be- 
gin a  new  bombardment.  Now,  therefore,  is  the  end, 
said  we.  But  Ranjoor  Singh  stood  up  with  his  head 
above  the  trench  and  began  shouting  to  the  Germans. 
They  answered  him.  Then,  to  our  utter  astonishment, 
he  tore  the  shirt  from  a  dead  man,  tied  it  to  a  rifle, 
iand  held  it  up. 

The  Germans  cheered  and  laughed,  but  we  made 
never  a  sound.  We  were  bewildered — sick  from  the 
stink  and  weariness  and  thirst  and  lack  of  food.  Yet 
I  swear  to  you,  sahib,  on  my  honor  that  it  had  not 
entered  into  the  heart  of  one  of  us  to  surrender.  That 
we  who  had  been  first  of  the  Indian  contingent  to 


HIRA  SINGH  59 

board  a  ship,  first  to  land  in  France,  first  to  engage 
the  enemy,  should  now  be  first  to  surrender  in  a  body 
seemed  to  us  very  much  worse  than  death.  Yet  Ran- 
joor  Singh  bade  us  leave  our  rifles  and  climb  out  of 
the  trench,  and  we  obeyed  him.  God  knows  why  w© 
obeyed  him.  I,  who  had  been  half-hearted  hitherto, 
hated  him  in  that  minute  as  a  trapped  wolf  hates  the 
hunter ;  yet  I,  too,  obeyed. 

We  left  our  dead  for  the  Germans  to  bury,  but  we 
dragged  the  wounded  out  and  some  of  them  died  as 
we  lifted  them.  When  we  reached  the  German  trench 
and  they  counted  us,  including  Ranjoor  Singh  and 
three-and-forty  wounded  there  were  two-hundred- 
and-three-and-fifty  of  us  left  alive. 

They  led  Ranjoor  Singh  apart.  He  had  neither 
rifle  nor  saber  in  his  hand,  and  he  walked  to  their 
trench  alone  because  we  avoided  him.  He  was  more 
muddy  than  we,  and  as  ragged  and  tired.  He  had 
stood  in  the  same  foul  water,  and  smelt  the  same 
stench.  He  was  hungry  as  we.  He  had  been  willing 
to  surrender,  and  we  had  not.  Yet  he  walked  like  an 
officer,  and  looked  like  one,  and  we  looked  like  ani- 
mals. And  we  knew  it,  and  he  knew  it.  And  the 
Germans  recognized  the  facts. 

He  acted  like  a  crowned  king  when  he  reached  the 
trench.  A  German  officer  spoke  with  him  earnestly,  but 
he  shook  his  head  and  then  they  led  him  away.  When 
he  was  gone  the  same  officer  came  and  spoke  to  us  in 
English,  and  I  understanding  him  at  once,  he  bade  me 
tell  the  others  that  the  British  must  have  witnessed 
our  surrender.  "See,"  said  he,  "what  a  bombardment 
they  have  begun  again.    That  is  in  the  hope  of  slaying 


60  HIRA  SINGH 

you.  That  is  out  of  revenge  because  you  dared  sur- 
render instead  of  dying  like  rats  in  a  ditch  to  feed 
their  pride!"  It  was  true  that  a  bombardment  had 
begun  again.  It  had  begun  that  minute.  Those  truly 
had  been  ranging  shells.  If  we  had  stayed  five  min- 
utes longer  before  surrendering  we  should  have  been 
blown  to  pieces ;  but  we  were  in  no  mood  to  care  on 
that  account. 

The  Germans  are  a  simple  folk,  sahib,  although 
they  themselves  think  otherwise.  When  they  think 
they  are  the  subtlest  they  are  easiest  to  understand. 
Understanding  was  reborn  in  my  heart  on  account  of 
that  German's  words.  Thought  I,  if  Ranjoor  Singh 
were  in  truth  a  traitor  then  he  would  have  leaped  at  a 
chance  to  justify  himself  to  us.  He  would  have  re- 
peated what  that  German  had  urged  him  to  tell  us. 
Yet  I  saw  him  refuse. 

As  they  hurried  him  away  alone,  pity  for  him  came 
over  me  like  warm  rain  on  the  parched  earth,  and 
when  a  man  can  pity  he  can  reason.  I  spoke  in  Pun- 
jabi to  the  others  and  the  German  officer  thought  I  was 
translating  what  he  told  me  to  say,  yet  in  truth  I  re- 
minded them  that  man  can  find  no  place  where  God 
is  not,  and  where  God  is  is  courage.  I  was  senior 
now,  and  my  business  was  to  encourage  them.  They 
took  new  heart  from  my  words,  all  except  Gooja 
Singh,  who  wept  noisily,  and  the  German  officer  was 
pleased  with  what  he  mistook  for  the  effect  of  his 
speech. 

"Tell  them  they  shall  be  excellently  treated,"  said 
he,  seizing  my  elbow.    "When  we  shall  have  won  this 


HIRA  SINGH  61 

war  the  British  will  no  longer  be  able  to  force  natives 
of  India  to  fight  their  battles  for  them." 

I  judged  it  well  to  repeat  that  word  for  word. 
There  are  over  ten  applicants  for  every  vacancy  in 
such  a  regiment  as  ours,  and  until  Ranjoor  Singh  or- 
dered our  surrender,  we  were  all  free  men — free  givers 
of  our  best;  whereas  the  Germans  about  us  were  all 
conscripts.    The  comparison  did  no  harm. 

We  saw  no  more  of  our  wounded  until  some  of 
them  were  returned  to  us  healed,  weeks  later;  but 
from  them  we  learned  that  their  treatment  had  been 
good.  With  us,  however,  it  was  not  so,  in  spite  of 
the  promise  the  German  officer  had  made.  We  were 
hustled  along  a  wide  trench,  and  taken  over  by  another 
guard,  not  very  numerous  but  brutal,  who  kicked  us 
without  excuse.  As  we  went  the  trenches  were  under 
fire  all  the  time  from  the  British  artillery.  The  guards 
swore  it  was  our  surrender  that  had  drawn  the  fire, 
and  belabored  us  the  more  on  that  account. 

At  the  rear  of  the  German  lines  we  were  herded 
in  a  quarry  lest  we  observe  too  much,  and  it  was  not 
until  after  dark  that  we  were  given  half  a  loaf  of 
bread  apiece.  Then,  without  time  to  eat  that  which 
had  been  given  to  us,  we  were  driven  ofif  into  the  dark- 
ness. First,  however,  they  took  our  goatskin  over- 
coats away,  saying  they  were  too  good  to  be  worn  by 
savages.  A  non-commissioned  officer,  who  could 
speak  good  English,  was  sent  for  to  explain  that  point 
to  us. 

After  an  hour's  march  through  the  dark  we  were 
herded  into  some  cattle  trucks  that  stood  on  a  siding 


62  HIRA  SINGH 

behind  some  trees.  The  trucks  did  not  smell  of  cattle, 
but  of  foul  garments  and  unwashed  men.  Two  armed 
German  infantrymen  were  locked  into  each  truck  with 
us,  and  the  pair  in  the  truck  in  which  I  was  drove  us 
in  a  crowd  to  the  farther  end,  claiming  an  entire  half 
for  themselves.  It  was  true  that  we  stank,  for  we  had 
been  many  days  and  nights  without  opportunity  to  get 
clean ;  yet  they  offered  us  no  means  of  washing — only 
abuse.  I  have  seen  German  prisoners  allowed  to  wash 
before  they  had  been  ten  minutes  behind  the  British 
lines. 

We  were  five  days  in  that  train,  sahib — ^five  days 
and  nights.  Our  guards  were  fed  at  regular  intervals, 
but  not  we.  Once  or  twice  a  day  they  brought  us  a 
bucket  of  water  from  which  we  were  bidden  drink  in 
a  great  hurry  while  the  train  waited;  yet  often  the 
train  waited  hours  on  sidings  and  no  water  at  all  was 
brought  us.  For  food  we  were  chiefly  dependent  on 
the  charity  of  people  at  the  wayside  stations  who  came 
with  gifts  intended  for  German  wounded;  some  of 
those  took  pity  on  us. 

At  last,  sahib,  when  we  were  cold  and  stiff  and 
miserable  to  the  very  verge  of  death,  we  came  to  a 
little  place  called  Oeschersleben,  and  there  the  cruelty 
came  to  an  unexpected  end.  We  were  ordered  out  of 
the  trucks  and  met  on  the  platform  by  a  German,  not 
in  uniform,  who  showed  distress  at  our  predicament 
and  who  hastened  to  assure  us  in  our  own  tongue 
that  henceforward  there  would  be  amends  made. 

If  that  man  had  taken  charge  of  us  in  the  begin- 
ning we  might  not  have  been  suspicious  of  him,  for  he 
seemed  gentle  and  his  words  were  fair;  but  now  his 


HIRA  SINGH  63 

kindness  came  too  late  to  have  effect.  Animals  can 
sometimes  be  rendered  tame  by  starvation  and  bru- 
tality followed  by  plenty  and  kindness,  but  not  men, 
and  particularly  not  Sikhs — it  being  no  part  of  our 
Guru's  teaching  that  either  full  belly  or  tutored  intel- 
lect can  compensate  for  lack  of  goodness.  Neither  is  it 
his  teaching,  on  the  other  hand,  that  a  man  must  wear 
thoughts  on  his  face;  so  we  did  not  reject  this  man's 
advances. 

"There  have  been  mistakes  made,"  said  he,  "by 
ignorant  common  soldiers  who  knew  no  better.  You 
shall  recuperate  on  good  food,  and  then  we  shall  see 
what  we  shall  see." 

I  asked  him  where  Ranjoor  Singh  was,  but  he  did 
not  answer  me. 

We  were  not  compelled  to  walk.  Few  o^  us  could 
have  walked.  We  were  stiff  from  confinement  and 
sick  from  neglect.  Carts  drawn  by  oxen  stood  near  the 
station,  and  into  those  we  were  crowded  and  driven 
to  a  camp  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town.  There  com- 
fortable wooden  huts  were  ready,  well  warmed  and 
clean — and  a  hot  meal — and  much  hot  water  in  which 
we  were  allowed  to  bathe. 

Then,  when  we  had  eaten,  doctors  came  and  ex- 
amined us.  New  clothes  were  given  us — German  uni- 
forms of  khaki,  and  khaki  cotton  cloth  from  which  to 
bind  new  turbans.  Nothing  was  left  undone  to  make 
us  feel  well  received,  except  that  a  barbed-wire  fence 
was  all  about  the  camp  and  armed  guards  marched  up 
and  down  outside. 

Being  senior  surviving  non-commissioned  officer,  I 
was  put  in  charge  of  the  camp  in  a  certain  manner. 


64  HIRA  SINGH 

with  many  restrictions  to  my  authority,  and  for  about 
a  week  we  did  nothing  but  rest  and  eat  and  keep  the 
camp  tidy.  All  day  long  Germans,  mostly  women  and 
children  but  some  men,  came  to  stare  at  us  through 
the  barbed-wire  fence  as  if  we  were  caged  animals,  but 
no  insults  were  offered  us.  Rather,  the  women  showed 
us  kindness  and  passed  us  sweetmeats  and  strange  food 
through  the  fence  until  an  officer  came  and  stopped 
them  with  overbearing  words.  Then,  presently,  there 
was  a  new  change. 

A  week  had  gone  and  we  were  feeling  better,  stand- 
ing about  and  looking  at  the  freshly  fallen  snow,  mark- 
ing the  straight  tracks  made  by  the  sentries  outside  the 
fence,  and  thinking  of  home  maybe,  when  new  develop- 
ments commenced. 

Telegrams  translated  into  Punjabi  were  nailed  to 
the  door  of  a  hut,  telling  of  India  in  rebellion  and  of 
men,  women  and  children  butchered  by  the  British  in 
cold  blood.  Other  telegrams  stated  that  the  Sikhs  of 
India  in  particular  had  risen,  and  that  Pertab  Singh, 
our  prince,  had  been  hanged  in  public.  Many  other  lies 
they  posted  up.  It  would  be  waste  of  time  to  tell  them 
all.  They  were  foolishness — such  foolishness  as  might 
deceive  the  German  public,  but  not  us  who  had  lived  in 
India  all  our  lives  and  who  had  received  our  mail  from 
home  within  a  day  or  two  of  our  surrender. 

There  came  plausible  men  who  knew  our  tongue 
and  the  argument  was  bluntly  put  to  us  that  we  ought 
to  let  expediency  be  our  guide  in  all  things.  Yet  we 
were  expected  to  trust  the  men  wlio  gave  us  such 
advice ! 

Our  sense  of  justice  was  not  courted  once.    They 


HIRA  SINGH  65 

made  appeal  to  our  bellies — ^to  our  purses — to  our  lust 
— ^to  our  fear — but  to  our  righteousness  not  at  all.  They 
made  for  us  great  pictures  of  what  German  rule  of  the 
world  would  be,  and  at  last  I  asked  whether  it  was  true 
that  the  kaiser  had  turned  Muhammadan.  I  was  given 
no  answer  until  I  had  asked  repeatedly,  and  then  it  was 
explained  how  that  had  been  a  rumor  sent  abroad  to 
stir  Islam ;  to  us,  on  the  other  hand,  nothing  but  truth 
was  told.  So  I  asked,  was  it  true  that  our  Prince 
Pertab  Singh  had  been  hanged,  and  they  told  me  yes. 
I  asked  them  where,  and  they  said  in  Delhi.  Yet  I 
knew  that  Pertab  Singh  was  all  the  while  in  London. 

I  asked  them  where  was  Ranjoor  Singh  all  this 
while,  and  for  a  time  they  made  no  answer,  so  I  asked 
again  and  again.  Then  one  day  they  began  to  talk  of 
Ranjoor  Singh. 

They  told  us  he  was  being  very  useful  to  them,  in 
Berlin,  in  daily  conference  with  the  German  General 
Staff,  explaining  matters  that  pertained  to  the  intended 
invasion  of  India.  Doubtless  they  thought  that  news 
would  please  us  greatly.  But,  having  heard  so  many 
lies  already,  I  set  that  down  for  another  one,  and  the 
others  became  all  the  more  determined  in  their  loyalty 
from  sheer  disgust  at  Ranjoor  Singh's  unfaithfulness. 
They  believed  and  I  disbelieved,  yet  the  result  was  one. 

At  night  Gooja  Singh  held  forth  in  the  hut  where 
he  slept  with  twenty-five  others.  He  explained — ^al- 
though he  did  not  say  how  he  knew — that  the  Germans 
have  kept  for  many  years  in  Berlin  an  office  for  the 
purpose  of  intrigue  in  India — an  office  manned  by  Sikh 
traitors.  "That  is  where  Ranjoor  Singh  will  be,"  said 
he.    "He  will  be  managing  that  bureau."    In  those  days 


^  HIRA  SINGH 

Gooja  Singh  was  Ranjoor  Singh's  bitterest  enemy,  al- 
though later  he  changed  sides  again. 

The  night-time  was  the  worst.  By  day  there  was 
the  camp  to  keep  clean  and  the  German  officers  to  talk 
to;  but  at  night  we  lay  awake  thinking  of  India,  and 
of  our  dead  officer  sahibs,  and  of  all  that  had  been  told 
us  that  we  knew  was  lies.  Ever  the  conversation 
turned  to  Ranjoor  Singh  at  last,  and  night  after  night 
the  anger  grew  against  him.  I  myself  admitted  very 
often  that  his  duty  had  been  to  lead  us  to  our  death. 
I  was  ashamed  as  the  rest  of  our  surrender. 

After  a  time,  as  our  wounded  began  to  be  drafted 
back  to  us  from  hospital,  we  were  made  to  listen  to 
accounts  of  alleged  great  German  victories.  They  told 
tis  the  German  army  was  outside  Paris  and  that  the 
whole  of  the  British  North  Sea  Fleet  was  either  sunk 
or  captured.  They  also  said  that  the  Turks  in  Gallipoli 
had  won  great  victories  against  the  Allies.  We  began  to 
wonder  why  such  conquerors  should  seek  so  earnestly 
the  friendship  of  a  handful  of  us  Sikhs.  Our  wounded 
began  to  be  drafted  back  to  us  well  primed,  and  their 
stories  made  us  think,  but  not  as  the  Germans  would 
have  had  us  think. 

Week  after  week  until  the  spring  came  we  listened 
to  their  tales  by  day  and  talked  them  over  among  our- 
selves at  night ;  and  the  more  they  assured  us  Ranjoor 
Singh  was  working  with  them  in  Berlin,  the  more  we 
prayed  for  opportunity  to  prove  our  hearts.  Spring 
dragged  along  into  summer  and  there  began  to  be 
prayers  for  vengeance  on  him.  I  said  less  than  any. 
Understanding  had  not  come  to  me  fully  yet,  but  it 
seemed  to  me  that  if  Ranjoor  Singh  was  really  playing 


HIRA  SINGH  67 

traitor,  then  he  was  going  a  tedious  way  about  it.  Yet 
it  was  equally  clear  that  if  I  should  dare  to  say  one 
word  in  his  behalf  that  would  be  to  pass  sentence  on 
myself.  I  kept  silence  when  I  could,  and  was  evasive 
when  they  pressed  me,  cowardice  struggling  with  new 
conviction  in  my  heart. 

There  came  one  night  at  last,  when  men's  hearts 
burned  in  them  too  terribly  for  sleep,  that  some  one 
proposed  a  resolution  and  sent  the  word  whispering 
frcHn  hut  to  hut,  that  we  should  ask  for  Ranjoor  Singh 
to  be  brought  to  us.  Let  the  excuse  be  that  he  was 
our  rightful  leader,  and  that  therefore  he  ought  to 
advise  us  what  we  should  do.  Let  us  promise  to  do 
faithfully  whatever  Ranjoor  Singh  should  order. 
Then,  when  he  should  have  been  brought  to  us,  should 
he  talk  treason  we  would  tear  him  in  pieces  with  our 
hands.  That  resolution  was  agreed  to.  I  also  agreed. 
It  was  I  who  asked  the  next  day  that  Ranjoor  Singh 
be  brought.  The  German  officer  laughed ;  yet  I  asked 
again,  and  he  went  away  smiling. 

We  talked  of  our  plan  at  night.  We  repeated  it 
at  dawn.  We  whispered  it  above  the  bread  at  break- 
fast. After  breakfast  we  stood  in  groups,  confirming 
our  decision  with  great  oaths  and  binding  one  another 
to  fulfillment — I  no  less  than  all  the  others.  Like  the 
others  I  was  blinded  now  by  the  sense  of  our  high 
purpose  and  I  forgot  to  consider  what  might  happen 
should  Ranjoor  Singh  take  any  other  line  than  that 
expected  of  him. 

I  think  it  was  eleven  Tn  the  morning  of  the  fourth 
day  after  our  decision,  when  we  had  all  grown  weary 
of  threats  of  vengeance  and  of  argument  as  to  what 


68  HIRA  SINGH 

each  individual  man  should  do  to  our  major's  body, 
that  there  was  some  small  commotion  at  the  entrance 
gate  and  a  man  walked  through  alone.  The  gate 
slammed  shut  again  behind  him. 

He  strode  forward  to  the  middle  of  our  compound, 
stood  still,  and  confronted  us.  We  stared  at  him. 
We  gathered  round  him.    We  said  nothing. 

"Fall  in,  two  deep!"  commanded  he.  And  we  fell 
in,  two  deep,  just  as  he  ordered. 

"  'Ten-shun !"  commanded  he.  And  we  stood  to 
attention. 

Sahib,  he  was  Ranjoor  Singh! 

He  stood  within  easy  reach  of  the  nearest  man, 
clothed  in  a  new  khaki  German  uniform.  He  wore  a 
German  saber  at  his  side.  Yet  I  swear  to  you  the 
saber  was  not  the  reason  why  no  man  struck  at  him. 
Nor  were  there  Germans  near  enough  to  have  rescued 
him.  We,  whose  oath  to  murder  him  still  trembled 
on  our  lips,  stood  and  faced  him  with  trembling  knees 
now  that  he  had  come  at  last. 

We  stood  before  him  like  two  rows  of  dumb  men, 
gazing  at  his  face.  I  have  heard  the  English  say  that 
our  eastern  faces  are  impossible  to  read,  but  that  can 
only  be  because  western  eyes  are  blind.  We  can  read 
them  readily  enough.  Yet  we  could  not  read  Ranjoor 
Singh's  that  day.  It  dawned  on  us  as  we  stared  that 
we  did  not  understand,  but  that  he  did ;  and  there  is 
iio  murder  in  that  mood. 

Before  we  could  gather  our  wits  he  began  to  speak 
to  us,  and  we  listened  as  in  the  old  days  when  at  least 
a  squadron  of  us  had  loved  him  to  the  very  death.  A 
very  unexpected  word  was  the  first  he  used. 

"Simpletons !"  said  he. 


HIRA  SINGH  69 

Sahib,  our  jaws  dropped.  Simpletons  was  the  last 
thing  we  had  thought  ourselves.  On  the  contrary,  we 
thought  ourselves  astute  to  have  judged  his  charac- 
ter and  to  have  kept  our  minds  uncorrupted  by  the 
Germa  ^  efforts.  Yet  we  were  no  longer  so  sure  of 
ourselves  that  any  man  was  ready  with  an  answer. 

He  glanced  over  his  shoulder  to  left  and  right. 
There  were  no  Germans  inside  the  fence;  none  near 
enough  to  overhear  him,  even  if  he  raised  his  voice. 
So  he  did  raise  it,  and  we  all  heard. 

"I  come  from  Berlin !" 

"Ah !"  said  we — ^as  one  man.  For  another  minute 
he  stood  eying  us,  waiting  to  see  whether  any  man 
would  speak. 

"We  be  honest  men !"  said  a  trooper  who  stood  not 
far  from  me,  and  several  others  murmured,  so  I 
spoke  up. 

"He  has  not  come  for  nothing,"  said  I.  "Let  us 
listen  first  and  pass  judgment  afterward." 

"We  have  heard  enough  treachery!"  said  the 
trooper  who  had  spoken  first,  but  the  others  growled 
him  down  and  presently  there  was  silence. 

"You  have  eyes,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "and  ears, 
and  nose,  and  lips  for  nothing  at  all  but  treachery!" 
He  spoke  very  slowly,  sahib.  "You  have  listened,  and 
smelled  for  it,  and  have  spoken  of  nothing  else,  and 
what  you  have  sought  you  think  you  have  found  I 
To  argue  with  men  in  the  dark  is  like  gathering  wind 
into  baskets.  My  business  is  to  lead,  and  I  will  lead. 
Your  business  is  to  follow,  and  you  shall  follow." 
Then,  "Simpletons!"  said  he  again;  and  having  said 
that  he  was  silent,  as  if  to  judge  what  effect  his  words 
were  having. 


70  HIRA  SINGH 

No  man  answered  him.  I  can  not  speak  for  the 
others,  although  there  was  a  wondrous  maze  of  lies 
put  forth  that  night  by  way  of  explanation  that  I 
might  repeat.  All  I  know  is  that  through  my  mind 
kept  running  against  my  will  self -accusation,  self-con- 
demnation, sel f -contempt !  I  had  permitted  my  love 
for  Ranjoor  Singh  to  be  corrupted  by  most  meager 
evidence.  If  I  had  not  been  his  enemy,  I  had  not  been 
true  to  him,  and  who  is  not  true  is  false.  I  fought 
with  a  sense  of  shame  as  I  have  since  then  fought  with 
thirst  and  hunger.  All  the  teachings  of  our  Holy  One 
accused  me.  Above  all,  Ranjoor  Singh's  face  accused 
me.  I  remembered  that  for  more  than  twenty  years 
he  had  stood  to  all  of  us  for  an  example  of  what  Sikh 
honor  truly  is,  and  that  he  had  been  aware  of  it. 

"I  know  the  thoughts  ye  think !"  said  he,  beginning 
again  when  he  had  given  us  time  to  answer  and  none 
had  dared.  *'I  will  give  you  a  real  thought  to  put  in 
the  place  of  all  that  foolishness.  This  is  a  regiment. 
I  am  its  last  surviving  officer.  Any  regiment  can  kill 
its  officers.  If  ye  are  weary  of  being  a  regiment, 
behold — I  am  as  near  you  as  a  man*s  throat  to  his 
hand!  Have  no  fear" — (that  was  a  bitter  thrust, 
sahib!) — "this  is  a  German  saber;  I  will  use  no  Ger- 
man steel  on  any  of  you.  I  will  not  strike  back  if  any 
seek  to  kill  me." 

There  was  no  movement  and  no  answer,  sahib. 
We  did  not  think;  we  waited.  If  he  had  coaxed  us 
with  specious  arguments,  as  surely  a  liar  would  have 
done,  that  would  probably  have  been  his  last  speech  in 
the  world.  But  there  was  not  one  word  he  said  that 
did  not  ring  true. 


HIRA  SINGH  71 

"I  have  been  made  a  certain  offer  in  Berlin,"  said 
he,  after  another  long  pause.  "First  it  was  made  to 
me  alone,  and  I  would  not  accept  it.  I  and  my  regi- 
ment, said  I,  are  one.  So  the  offer  was  repeated  to 
me  as  the  leader  of  this  regiment.  Thus  they  ad- 
mitted I  am  the  rightful  leader  of  it,  and  the  outcome 
of  that  shall  be  on  their  heads.  As  major  of  this 
regiment,  I  accepted  the  offer,  and  as  its  major  I  now 
command  your  obedience." 

"Obedience  to  whom?"  asked  I,  speaking  again 
as  it  were  against  my  will,  and  frightened  by  my  own 
voice. 

"To  me,"  said  he. 

"Not  to  the  Germans?"  I  asked.  He  wore  a  Ger- 
man uniform,  and  so  for  that  matter  did  we  all. 

"To  me,"  he  said  again,  and  he  took  one  step 
aside  that  he  might  see  my  face  better.  "You,  Hira 
Singh,  you  heard  Colonel  Kirby  make  over  the  com- 
mand!" 

Every  man  in  the  regiment  knew  that  Colonel 
Kirby  had  died  across  my  knees.  They  looked  from 
Ranjoor  Singh  to  me,  and  from  me  to  Ranjoor  Singh, 
and  I  felt  my  heart  grow  first  faint  from  dread  of 
their  suspicion,  and  then  bold,  then  proud  that  I  should 
be  judged  fit  to  stand  beside  him.  Then  came 
shame  again,  for  I  knew  I  was  not  fit.  My  loyalty  to 
him  had  not  stood  the  test.  All  this  time  I  thought  I 
felt  his  eyes  on  me  like  coals  that  burned;  yet  when 
I  dared  look  up  he  was  not  regarding  me  at  all,  but 
scanning  the  two  lines  of  faces,  perhaps  to  see  if  any 
Other  had  anything  to  say. 

"If  I  told  you  my  plan,"  said  he  presently,  when 


72  HIRA  SINGH 

he  had  cleared  his  throat,  "you  would  tear  it  in  little 
pieces.  The  Germans  have  another  plan,  and  they 
will  tell  you  as  much  of  it  as  they  think  it  good  for 
you  to  know.  Mark  what  my  orders  are!  Listen  to 
this  plan  of  theirs.  Pretend  to  agree.  Then  you  shall 
be  given  weapons.  Then  you  shall  leave  this  camp 
within  a  week." 

That,  sahib,  was  like  a  shell  bursting  in  the  midst 
of  men  asleep.  What  did  it  mean?  Eyes  glanced 
to  left  and  right,  looking  for  understanding  and  find- 
ing none,  and  no  man  spoke  because  none  could  think 
of  anything  to  say.  It  was  on  my  tongue  to  ask  him 
to  explain  when  he  gave  us  his  final  word  on  the  mat- 
ter— and  little  enough  it  was,  yet  sufficient  if  we 
obeyed. 

"Remember  the  oath  of  a  Sikh!"  said  he.  "Re- 
member that  he  who  is  true  in  his  heart  to  his  oath 
has  Truth  to  fight  for  him !  Treachery  begets  treason, 
treason  begets  confusion;  and  who  are  ye  to  stay  the 
course  of  things?  Faith  begets  faith;  courage  gives 
birth  to  opportunity !" 

He  paused,  but  we  knew  he  had  not  finished  yet, 
and  he  kept  us  waiting  full  three  minutes  wondering 
what  would  come.    Then : 

"As  for  your  doubts,"  said  he.  "If  the  head  aches, 
shall  the  body  cut  it  off  that  it  may  think  more  clearly? 
Consider  that !"  said  he.    "Dismiss !" 

We  fell  out  and  he  marched  away  like  a  king  with 
thoughts  of  state  in  mind.  I  thought  his  beard  was 
grayer  than  it  had  been,  but  oh,  sahib,  he  strode  as 
an  arrow  goes,  swift  and  straight,  and  splendid- 
Lonely  as  an  arrow  that  has  left  the  sheaf! 


HIRA  SINGH  73 

I  had  to  run  to  catch  up  with  him,  and  I  was  out 
of  breath  when  I  touched  his  sleeve.  He  turned  and 
waited  while  I  thought  of  things  to  say,  and  then 
struggled  to  find  words  wath  which  to  say  them. 

"Sahib!"  said  I.  "Oh,  Major  sahib!"  And  then 
my  throat  became  full  of  words  each  struggling  to  be 
first,  and  I  was  silent. 

"Well?"  said  he,  standing  with  both  arms  folded, 
looking  very  grave,  but  not  angry  nor  contemptuous. 

"Sahib,"  I  said,  "I  am  a  true  man.  As  I  stand 
here,  I  am  a  true  man.  I  have  been  a  fool — I  have 
been  half-hearted — I  was  like  a  man  in  the  dark;  I 
listened  and  heard  voices  that  deceived  me!" 

"And  am  I  to  listen  and  hear  voices,  too?"  he 
asked. 

"Nay,  sahib!"  I  said.  "Not  such  voices,  but  true 
words !" 

"Words?"  he  said.  "Words!  Words!  There 
have  already  been  too  many  words.  Truth  needs  no 
words  to  prove  it  true,  Hira  Singh.  Words  are  the 
voice  of  nothingness !" 

"Then,  sahib — "  said  I,  stammering. 

"Hira  Singh,"  said  he,  "each  man's  heart  is  his 
own.  Let  each  man  keep  his  own.  When  the  time 
comes  we  shall  see  no  true  men  eating  shame,"  said  he. 

And  with  that  he  acknowledged  my  salute, 
turned  on  his  heel,  and  marched  away.  And  the  great 
gate  slammed  behind  him.  And  German  officers 
pressing  close  on  either  side  talked  with  him  earnestly, 
asking,  as  plainly  as  if  I  heard  the  words,  what  he 
had  said,  and  what  we  had  said,  and  what  the  out- 
come was  to  be.     I  could  see  his  lips  move  as  he 


74  HIRA  SINGH 

answered,  but  no  man  living  could  have  guessed  what 
he  told  them.  I  never  did  know  what  he  told  them. 
But  I  have  lived  to  see  the  fruit  of  what  he  did,  and 
of  what  he  made  us  do;  and  from  that  minute  I  have 
never  faltered  for  a  second  in  my  faithfulness  to 
Ranjoor  Singh. 

Be  attentive,  sahib,  and  learn  what  a  man  of  men 
is  Risaldar-major  Ranjoor  Singh  bahadur. 


CHAPTER  III 

Shall  he  who  knows  not  false  from  true  judge 
treasonf— Eastern  Proverb. 

You  may  well  imagine,  sahib,  in  the  huts  that 
night  there  was  noise  as  of  bees  about  to  swarm.  No 
man  slept.  Men  flitted  like  ghosts  from  hut  to  hut — ' 
not  too  openly,  nor  without  sufficient  evidence  of 
stealth  to  keep  the  guards  in  good  conceit  of  them- 
selves, but  freely  for  all  that.  What  the  men  of  one 
hut  said  the  men  of  the  next  hut  knew  within  five 
minutes,  and  so  on,  back  and  forth. 

I  was  careful  to  say  nothing.  When  men  ques- 
tioned m^  "Nay,"  said  I.  "I  am  one  and  ye  are 
many.  Choose  ye!  Could  I  lead  you  against  your 
wills  ?*'  They  murmured  at  that,  but  silence  is  easier 
to  keep  than  some  men  think. 

Why  did  I  say  nothing?  In  the  first  place,  sahib, 
because  my  mind  was  made  at  last.  With  all  my  heart 
now,  with  the  oath  of  a  Sikh  and  the  truth  of  a  Sikh 
I  was  Ranjoor  Singh's  man.  I  believed  him  true,  and 
I  was  ready  to  stand  or  fall  by  that  belief,  in  the  dark, 
in  the  teeth  of  death,  against  all  odds,  anywhere. 
Therefore  there  was  nothing  I  could  say  with  wis- 
dom. For  if  they  were  to  suspect  my  true  thoughts, 
they  would  lose  all  confidence  in  me,  and  then  I  should 
be  of  little  use  to  the  one  man  who  could  help  all  of 
us.  I  judged  that  what  Ranjoor  Singh  most  needed 
was  a  silent  servant  who  would  watch  and  obey  the 

75 


76  HIRA  SINGH 

first  hint.  Just  as  I  had  watched  him  in  battle  and 
had  herded  the  men  for  him  to  lead,  so  would  I  do 
now.  There  should  be  deeds,  not  words,  for  the 
foundation  of  a  new  beginning. 

In  the  second  place,  sahib,  I  knew  full  well  that  if 
Gooja  Singh  or  any  of  the  others  could  have  per- 
suaded me  to  advance  an  opinion  it  would  have  been 
pounced  on,  and  changed  out  of  all  recognition,  yet 
named  my  opinion  nevertheless.  This  altered 
opinion  they  would  presently  adopt,  yet  calling  it 
mine,  and  when  the  outcome  of  it  should  fail  at  last 
to  please  them  they  would  blame  me.  For  such  is  the 
way  of  the  world.  So  I  had  two  good  reasons,  and 
the  words  I  spoke  that  night  could  have  been  counted 
without  aid  of  pen  and  paper. 

The  long  and  short  of  it  was  that  morning  found 
them  undecided.  There  was  one  opinion  all  held — 
even  Gooja  Singh,  who  otherwise  took  both  sides  as 
to  everything — ^that  above  all  and  before  all  we  were 
all  true  men,  loyal  to  our  friends,  the  British,  and 
foes  of  every  living  German  or  Austrian  or  Turk  so 
long  as  the  war  should  last.  The  Germans  had 
bragged  to  us  about  the  Turks  being  in  the  war  on 
their  side,  and  we  had  thought  deeply  on  the  subject 
of  their  choice  of  friends.  Like  and  like  mingle, 
sahib.  As  for  us,  my  grandfather  fought  for  the 
British  in  '57,  and  my  father  died  at  Kandahar  under 
Bobs  bahadur.  On  that  main  issue  we  were  all  one, 
and  all  ashamed  to  be  prisoners  while  our  friends 
were  facing  death.  But  dawn  found  almost  no  two 
men  agreed  as  to  Ranjoor  Singh,  or  in  fact  on  any 
otb.er  point. 


HIRA  SINGH  77 

Not  long  after  dawn,  came  the  Germans  again, 
with  new  arguments.  And  this  time  they  began  to  let 
us  feel  the  iron  underlying  their  persuasion.  Once, 
to  make  talk  and  gain  time  before  answering  a  ques- 
tion, 1  had  told  them  of  our  labor  in  the  bunkers  on 
the  ship  that  carried  us  from  India.  I  had  boasted 
of  the  coal  we  piled  on  the  fire-room  floor.  Lo,  it  is 
always  foolish  to  give  information  to  the  enemy — al- 
ways, sahib — always!    There  is  no  exception. 

Said  they  to  us  now:  "We  Germans  are  devoting 
all  our  energy  to  prosecution  of  this  war.  Nearly  all 
our  able-bodied  men  are  with  the  regiments.  Every 
man  must  do  his  part,  for  we  are  a  nation  in  arms. 
Even  prisoners  must  do  their  part.  Those  who  do 
not  fight  for  us  must  work  to  help  the  men  who  do 
fight." 

"Work  without  pay?"  said  I. 

"Aye,"  said  they,  "work  without  pay.  There  is 
coal,  for  instance.  We  understand  that  you  Sikhs 
have  proved  yourselves  adept  at  work  with  coal.  He 
who  can  labor  in  the  bunkers  of  a  ship  can  handle 
pick  and  shovel  in  the  mines,  and  most  of  our  miners 
have  been  called  up.  Yet  we  need  more  coal  than 
ever." 

So,  sahib.  So  they  turned  my  boast  against  me. 
And  the  men  around  me,  who  had  heard  me  tell  the 
tale  about  our  willing  labor  on  the  ship,  now  eyed  me 
furiously;  although  at  the  time  they  had  enjoyed  the 
boast  and  had  added  details  of  their  own.  The  Ger- 
mans went  away  and  left  us  to  talk  over  this  new 
suggestion  among  ourselves,  and  until  afternoon  I 
was  kept  busy  speaking  in  my  own  defense. 


78  HIRA  SINGH 

"Who  could  have  foreseen  how  they  would  use 
my  words  against  us?"  I  demanded.  But  they  an- 
swered that  any  fool  could  have  foreseen  it,  and  that 
my  business  was  to  foresee  in  any  case  and  to  give 
them  good  advice.  I  kept  that  saying  in  my  heart, 
and  turned  it  against  them  when  the  day  came. 

That  afternoon  the  Germans  returned,  with  know- 
ing smiles  that  were  meant  to  seem  courteous,  and 
with  an  air  of  confidence  that  was  meant  to  appear 
considerate.  Doubtless  a  cat  at  meal-time  believes 
men  think  him  generous  and  unobtrusive.  They  went 
to  great  trouble  to  prove  themselves  our  wise  coun- 
selors and  disinterested  friends. 

"We  have  explained  to  you,"  said  they,  "what  h)rp- 
ocrites  the  British  are, — what  dust  they  have  thrown 
in  your  eyes  for  more  than  a  century — ^how  they  have 
grown  rich  at  your  expense,  deliberately  keeping  India 
in  ignorance  and  subjection,  in  poverty  and  vice,  and 
divided  against  itself.  We  have  told  you  what  Ger- 
man aims  are  on  the  other  hand,  and  how  successful 
our  armies  are  on  every  front  as  the  result  of  the  con- 
sistence of  those  aims.  We  have  proved  to  you  how 
half  the  world  already  takes  our  side — ^how  the  Turks 
fight  for  us,  how  Persia  begins  to  join  the  Turks,  how 
Afghanistan  already  moves,  and  how  India  is  in  re- 
bellion. Now — wouldn't  you  like  to  join  our  side— ^ 
to  throw  the  weight  of  Sikh  honor  and  Sikh  bravery 
into  the  scale  with  us  ?  That  would  be  better  fun  than 
working  in  the  mines,"  said  they. 

"Are  we  offered  that  alternative?"  I  asked,  \M 
they  did  not  answer  that  question.  They  went  away 
again  and  left  us  to  our  thoughts. 


HIRA  SINGH  79 

And  we  talked  all  the  rest  of  that  day  and  most  of 
the  next  night,  arriving  at  no  decision.  When  they 
asked  me  for  an  opinion,  I  said,  **Ranjoor  Singh  told 
us  this  would  be,  and  he  gave  us  orders  what  to  do/' 
When  they  asked  me  ought  they  to  obey  him,  I  an- 
swered, "Nay,  choose  ye!  Who  can  make  you  obey 
against  your  wills  ?'*  And  when  they  asked  me  would 
I  abide  by  their  decision,  "Can  the  foot  walk  one  way," 
I  answered,  "while  the  body  walks  another?  Are  we 
not  one  ?"  said  I. 

"Then,"  said  they,  "you  bid  us  consider  this  pro- 
posal to  take  part!  against  our  friends  ?" 

"Nay,"  said  I,  "I  am  a  true  man.  No  man  can 
make  me  fight  against  the  British." 

They  thought  on  that  for  a  while,  and  then  sur- 
rounded me  again,  Gooja  Singh  being  spokesman  for 
them  all.  "Then  you  counsel  us,"  said  he,  "to  choose 
the  hard  labor  in  the  coal  mines  ?" 

"Nay,"  said  I.    "I  counsel  nothing." 

"But  what  other  course  is  there  ?"  said  he. 

"There  is  Ranjoor  Singh,"  said  I. 

"But  he  desired  to  lead  us  against  the  British," 
said  he. 

"Nay,"  said  I.    "Who  said  so?" 

Gooja  Singh  answered:  "He,  Ranjoor  Singh 
himself,  said  so." 

"Nay,"  said  I.  "I  heard  what  he  said.  He  said 
he  will  lead  us,  but  he  said  nothing  of  his  plan.  He 
did  not  say  he  will  lead  us  against  the  British." 

"Then  it  was  the  Germans.  They  said  so,"  said 
Gooja  Singh.  "They  said  he  will  lead  us  against  the 
British." 


80  HIRA  SINGH 

"The  Germans  said,"  said  I,  "that  their  armies  are 
outside  Paris — that  India  is  in  rebellion — that  Pertab 
Singh  was  hanged  in  Delhi — that  the  British  rule  in 
India  has  been  altogether  selfish — that  our  wives  and 
children  have  been  butchered  by  the  British  in  cold 
blood.  The  Germans,"  said  I,  "have  told  us  very 
many  things." 

"Then,"  said  he,  "you  counsel  us  to  follow  Ran- 
joor  Singh?" 

"Nay,"  said  I.    "I  counsel  nothing." 

"You  are  a  coward !"  said  he.  "You  are  afraid  to 
give  opinion!" 

"I  am  one  among  many!"  I  answered  him. 

They  left  me  alone  again  and  talked  in  groups, 
Gooja  Singh  passing  from  one  group  to  another  like 
a  man  collecting  tickets.  Then,  when  it  was  growing 
dusk,  they  gathered  once  more  about  me  and  Gooja 
Singh  went  through  the  play  of  letting  them  persuade 
him  to  be  spokesman. 

"If  we  decide  to  follow  Ranjoor  Singh,"  said  he, 
"will  you  be  one  with  us  ?" 

"If  that  is  the  decision  of  you  all,"  I  answered, 
"then  yes.  But  if  it  is  Gooja  Singh's  decision  with 
the  rest  consenting,  then  no.  Is  that  the  decision  of 
you  all?"  I  asked,  and  they  murmured  a  sort  of 
answer. 

"Nay!"  said  I.  "That  will  not  do !  Either  yes  or 
no.  Either  ye  are  willing  or  ye  are  unwilling.  Let 
him  who  is  unwilling  say  so,  and  I  for  one  will  hold 
no  judgment  against  him." 

None  answered,  though  I  urged  again  and  again. 
"Then  ye  are  all  willing  to  give  Ranjoor  Singh  a 


HIRA  SINGH  81 

trial?"  said  I;  and  this  time  they  all  answered  in  the 
affirmative. 

"I  think  your  decision  well  arrived  at!"  I  made 
bold  to  tell  them.  "To  me  it  seems  you  have  all  seen 
wisdom,  and  although  I  had  thoughts  in  mind,"  said 
I,  "of  accepting  work  in  the  collieries  and  blowing  up 
a  mine  perhaps,  yet  I  admit  your  plan  is  better  and 
I  defer  to  it." 

They  were  much  more  pleased  with  that  speech 
than  if  I  had  admitted  the  truth,  that  I  would  never 
have  agreed  to  any  other  plan.  So  that  now  they 
were  much  more  ready  than  they  might  have  been  to 
listen  to  my  next  suggestion. 

"But,"  said  I,  with  an  air  of  caution,  "shall  we 
not  keep  any  watch  on  Ranjoor  Singh?" 

"Let  us  watch!"  said  they.  "Let  us  be  fore- 
handed!" 

"But  how?"  said  I.  "He  is  an  officer.  He  is  not 
bound  to  lay  bare  his  thoughts  to  us." 

They  thought  a  long  time  about  that.  It  grew 
dark,  and  we  were  ordered  to  our  huts,  and  lights 
were  put  out,  and  still  they  lay  awake  and  talked  of 
it.  At  last  Gooja  Singh  flitted  through  the  dark  and 
came  to  me  and  asked  me  my  opinion  on  the  matter. 

"One  of  you  go  and  offer  to  be  his  servant,"  said 
I.  "Let  that  servant  serve  him  well.  A  good  servant 
should  know  more  about  his  master  than  the  master 
himself." 

"Who  shall  that  one  be?"  he  asked;  and  he  went 
back  to  tell  the  men  what  I  had  said. 

After  midnight  he  returned.  "They  say  you  are 
the  one  to  keep  watch  on  him,"  said  he. 


82  HIRA  SINGH 

"Nay,  nay !"  said  I,  with  my  heart  leaping  against 
my  ribs,  but  my  voice  belying  it.  "If  I  agree  to  that, 
then  later  you  will  swear  I  am  his  friend  and  condemn 
me  in  one  judgment  with  himT' 

"Nay,"  said  he.  "Nay  truly!  On  the  honor  of  a 
Sikhl" 

"Mine  is  also  the  honor  of  a  Sikh,"  said  I,  "and 
I  will  cover  it  with  care.  Go  back  to  them,"  I  direct- 
ed, "and  let  them  all  come  and  speak  with  me  at 
dawn." 

"Is  my  word  not  enough?"  said  he. 

"Was  Ranjoor  Singh's  enough?"  said  I,  and  he 
went,  muttering  to  himself. 

I  slept  until  dawn — the  first  night  I  had  slept  in 
three — and  before  breakfast  they  all  clustered  about 
me,  urging  me  to  be  the  one  to  keep  close  watch  on 
Ranjoor  Singh. 

"God  forbid  that  I  should  be  stool  pigeon!"  said 
I.  "Nay,  God  forbid!  Ranjoor  Singh  need  but  give 
an  order  that  ye  have  no  liking  for  and  ye  will  shoot 
me  in  the  back  for  it !" 

They  were  very  earnest  in  their  protestations,  urg- 
ing me  more  and  more;  but  the  more  they  urged  the 
more  I  hung  back,  and  we  ate  before  I  gave  them  any 
answer.  "This  is  a  plot,"  said  I,  "to  get  me  in  trou- 
ble. What  did  I  ever  do  that  ye  should  combine 
against  me  ?" 

"Nay !"  said  they.  "By  our  Sikh  oath,  we  be  true 
men  and  your  friends.    Why  do  you  doubt  us  ?" 

Then  said  I  at  last,  as  it  were  reluctantly,  "If  ye 
demand  it— if  ye  insist— I  will  be  the  go-between.  Yet 


HIRA  SINGH  83 

I  do  it  because  ye  compel  me  by  weight  of  unanin> 
ityr  saidl. 

"It  is  your  place !"  said  they,  but  I  shook  my  head, 
and  to  this  day  I  have  never  admitted  to  them  that 
I  undertook  the  work  willingly. 

Presently  came  the  Germans  to  us  again,  this  time 
accompanied  by  officers  in  uniform  who  stood  apart 
and  watched  with  an  air  of  passing  judgment.  They 
asked  us  now  point-blank  whether  or  not  we  were 
willing  to  work  in  the  coal  mines  and  thus  make  some 
return  for  the  cost  of  keeping  us;  and  we  answered 
with  one  voice  that  we  were  not  coal-miners  and 
therefore  not  willing. 

"The  alternative,"  said  they,  "is  that  you  apply  to 
fight  on  the  side  of  the  Central  Empires.  Men  must 
all  either  fight  or  work  in  these  days ;  there  is  no  room 
for  idlers." 

"Is  there  no  other  work  we  could  do?"  asked 
Gooja  Singh. 

"None  that  we  offer  you!"  said  they.  "If  you 
apply  to  be  allowed  to  fight  on  the  side  of  the  Central 
Empires,  then  your  application  will  be  considered. 
However,  you  would  be  expected  to  forswear  alle- 
giance to  Great  Britain,  and  to  take  the  military  oath 
as  provided  by  our  law;  so  that  in  the  event  of  any 
lapse  of  discipline  or  loyalty  to  our  cause  you  could 
be  legally  dealt  with." 

"And  the  alternative  is  the  mines?"  said  I. 

"No,  no !"  said  the  chief  of  them.  "You  must  not 
inisunderstand.  Your  present  destination  is  the  coal 
mines,  where  you  are  to  earn  your  keep.    But  the  sug- 


M  HIRA  SINGH 

gestion  is  made  to  you  that  you  might  care  to  apply 
for  leave  to  fight  on  our  side.  In  that  case  we  would 
not  send  you  to  the  coal  mines  until  at  least  your  ap- 
plication had  been  considered.  It  is  practically  cer- 
tain it  would  be  considered  favorably." 

The  conversation  was  in  English  as  usual  and 
many  of  the  men  had  not  quite  understood.  Those  on 
the  outside  had  not  heard  properly.  So  I  bade  four 
men  lift  me,  and  I  shouted  to  them  in  our  own  tongue 
all  that  the  German  had  said.  There  fell  a  great 
silence,  and  the  four  men  let  me  drop  to  the  earth 
between  them. 

"So  is  this  the  trap  Ranjoor  Singh  would  lead  us 
into?"  said  the  trooper  nearest  me,  and  though  he 
spoke  low,  so  still  were  we  all  that  fifty  men  heard 
him  and  murmured.     So  I  spoke  up. 

Said  I,  "We  will  answer  when  we  shall  have 
spoken  again  with  Ranjoor  Singh.  He  shall  give  our 
answer.  It  is  right  that  a  regiment  should  answer 
through  its  officer,  and  any  other  course  is  lacking 
discipline !" 

Sahib,  I  have  been  surprised  a  thousand  times  in 
this  war,  but  not  once  more  surprised  than  by  the  in- 
stant effect  my  answer  had.  It  was  a  random  answer, 
made  while  I  searched  for  some  argument  to  use ;  but 
the  German  spokesman  turned  at  once  and  translated 
to  the  officers  in  uniform.  Watching  them  very 
closely,  I  saw  them  laugh,  and  it  seemed  to  me  they 
approved  my  answer  and  disapproved  some  other 
matter.  I  think  they  disapproved  the  civilian  method 
of  mingling  with  us  in  a  mob,  for  a  moment  later  the 
order  was  given  us  in  English  to  fall  in,  and  we  fell 


HIRA  SINGH  85 

in  two  deep.  Then  the  civilian  Germans  drew  aside 
and  one  of  the  officers  in  uniform  strode  toward  the 
entrance  gate.  We  waited  in  utter  silence,  wondering 
what  next,  but  the  officer  had  not  been  gone  ten  min- 
utes when  we  caught  sight  of  him  returning  with 
Ranjoor  Singh  striding  along  beside  him. 

Ranjoor  Singh  and  he  advanced  toward  us  and  I 
saw  Ranjoor  Singh  speak  with  him  more  emphatic- 
ally than  his  usual  custom.  Evidently  Ranjoor  Singh 
had  his  way,  for  the  officer  spoke  in  German  to  the 
others  and  they  all  walked  out  of  the  compound  in  a 
group,  leaving  Ranjoor  Singh  facing  us.  He  waited 
until  the  gate  clanged  shut  behind  them  before  he 
spoke. 

"Well?"  said  he.  "I  was  told  the  regiment  asked 
for  word  with  me.    What  is  the  word?" 

"Sahib,"  said  I,  standing  out  alone  before  the  men, 
not  facing  him,  but  near  one  end  of  the  line,  so  that 
I  could  raise  my  voice  with  propriety  and  all  the  men 
might  hear.  He  backed  away,  to  give  more  effect  to 
that  arrangement.  "Sahib,"  I  said,  "we  are  in  a  trap. 
Either  we  go  to  the  mines,  or  we  fight  for  the  Ger- 
mans against  the  British.  What  is  your  word  on  the 
matter?" 

"Ho!"  said  he.  "Is  it  as  bad  as  that?  As  bad  as 
that?"  said  he.  "If  ye  go  to  the  mines  to  dig  coal, 
they  will  use  that  coal  to  make  ammunition  for  their 
guns !  That  seems  a  poor  alternative !  They  fight  as 
much  with  ammunition  as  with  men !" 

"Sahib,"  said  I,  "it  is  worse  than  that !  They  seek 
to  compel  us  to  sign  a  paper,  forswearing  our  alle- 
^ance  to  Great  Britain  and  claiming  allegiance  to 


86  HIRA  SINGH 

them!  Should  we  sign  it,  that  makes  us  out  traitors 
in  the  first  place,  and  makes  us  amenable  to  their  law 
in  the  second  place.  They  could  shoot  us  if  we  dis- 
obeyed or  demurred." 

"They  could  do  that  in  the  mines,"  said  he,  "if 
you  failed  to  dig  enough  coal  to  please  them. 
They  would  call  it  punishment  for  malingering — or 
some  such  name.  If  they  take  it  into  their  heads  to 
have  you  all  shot,  doubt  not  they  will  shoot !" 

"Yet  in  that  case,"  said  I,  "we  should  not  be 
traitors." 

"I  will  tell  you  a  story,"  said  he,  and  we  held  our 
breath  to  listen,  for  this  was  his  old  manner.  This 
had  ever  been  his  way  of  putting  recruits  at  ease  and 
of  making  a  squadron  understand.  In  that  minute, 
for  more  than  a  minute,  men  forgot  they  had  ever 
suspected  him. 

"When  I  was  a  little  one,"  said  he,  "my  mother's 
aunt,  who  was  an  old  hag,  told  me  this  tale.  There 
was  a  pack  of  wolves  that  hunted  in  a  forest  near  9 
village.  In  the  village  lived  a  man  who  wished  to  be 
headman.  Abdul  was  his  name,  and  he  had  six  sons. 
He  wished  to  be  headman  that  he  might  levy  toll 
among  the  villagers  for  the  up-keep  of  his  sons,  who 
were  hungry  and  very  proud.  Now  Abdul  was  a  cun- 
ning hunter,  and  his  sons  were  strong.  So  he  took 
thought,  and  chose  a  season  carefully,  and  set  his  sons 
to  dig  a  great  trap.  And  so  well  had  Abdul  chosen 
• — so  craftily  the  six  sons  digged — ^that  one  night  they 
caught  all  that  wolf-pack  in  the  trap.  And  they  kept 
them  in  the  trap  two  days  and  a  night,  that  they  might 
hunger  and  thirst  and  grow  amenable. 


HIRA  SINGH  87 

*Then  Abdul  leaned  above  the  pit,  and  peered 
down  at  the  wolves  and  began  to  bargain  with  them. 
*  Wolves/  said  he,  *your  fangs  be  long  and  your  jaws 
be  strong,  and  I  wish  to  be  headman  of  this  village.' 
And  they  answered,  'Speak,  Abdul,  for  these  walls  be 
high,  and  our  throats  be  dry,  and  we  wish  to  hunt 
again !'  So  he  bade  them  promise  that  if  he  let  them 
go  they  would  seek  and  slay  the  present  headman  and 
his  sons,  so  that  he  might  be  headman  in  his  place. 
And  the  wolves  promised.  Then  when  he  had  made 
them  swear  by  a  hundred  oaths  in  a  hundred  different 
ways,  and  had  bound  them  to  keep  faith  by  God  and 
by  earth  and  sky  and  sea  and  by  all  the  holy  things 
he  could  remember,  he  stood  aside  and  bade  his  six 
sons  free  the  wolves. 

"The  sons  obeyed,  and  helped  the  wolves  out  of 
the  trap.  And  instantly  the  wolves  fell  on  all  six 
sons,  and  slew  and  devoured  them.  Then  they  came 
and  stood  round  Abdul  with  their  jaws  dripping  with 
blood. 

"  'Oh,  wolves,'  said  he,  trembling  with  fear  and 
anger,  *ye  are  traitors!  Ye  are  forsworn!  Ye  are 
faithless  ones!' 

''But  they  answered  him,  *Oh,  Abdul,  shall  he  who 
knows  not  false  from  true  judge  treason?'  and  forth- 
with they  slew  him  and  devoured  him,  and  went 
about  their  business. 

"Now,  which  had  the  right  of  that — ^Abdul  or  the 
wolves  ?" 

"We  are  no  wolves !"  said  Gooja  Singh  in  a  whin- 
ing voice.    "We  be  true  men!" 

"Then   I   will   tell  you   another   story,"    Ranjoor 


88  HIRA  SINGH 

Singh  answered  him.  And  we  listened  again,  as  men 
Hsten  to  the  ticking  of  a  clock.  **This  is  a  story  the 
same  old  woman,  my  mother's  aunt,  told  me  when  I 
was  very  little. 

"There  was  a  man — ^and  this  man's  name  also 
was  Abdul — ^who  owned  a  garden,  and  in  it  a  fish- 
pond. But  in  the  fish-pond  were  no  fish.  Abdul 
craved  fish  to  swim  hither  and  thither  in  his  pond, 
but  though  he  tried  times  out  of  number  he  could 
catch  none.  Yet  at  fowling  he  had  better  fortune, 
and  when  he  was  weary  one  day  of  fishing  and  laid 
his  net  on  land  he  caught  a  dozen  birds. 

"  'So-ho !'  said  Abdul,  being  a  man  much  given  to 
thought,  and  he  went  about  to  strike  a  bargain.  *Oh, 
birds,'  said  he,  *are  ye  willing  to  be  fish?  For  I 
have  no  fishes  swimming  in  my  pond,  yet  my  heart 
desires  them  greatly.  So  if  ye  are  willing  to  be 
fish  and  will  stay  in  my  good  pond  and  swim  there, 
gladdening  my  eyes,  I  will  abstain  from  killing  you 
but  instead  will  set  you  in  the  pond  and  let  you 
live.' 

"So  the  birds,  who  were  very  terrified,  declared 
themselves  willing  to  be  fish,  and  the  birds  swore 
even  more  oaths  than  he  insisted  on,  so  that  he  was 
greatly  pleased  and  very  confident.  Therefore  he 
used  not  very  much  precaution  when  he  came  to 
plunge  the  birds  into  the  water,  and  the  instant  he 
let  go  of  them  the  birds  with  feathers  scarcely  wet 
flew  away  and  perched  on  the  trees  about  him. 

"Then  Abdul  grew  very  furious.  *Oh,  birds,'  said 
he,  *ye  are  traitors.  Ye  are  forsworn!  Ye  are  liars 
— ^breakers  of  oaths — deceitful  ones!'    And  he  shook 


HIRA  SINGH  89 

his  fist  at  them  and  spat,  being  greatly  enraged  and 
grieved  at  their  deception. 

"But  the  birds  answered  him,  *0h,  Abdul,  a  cap- 
tive's gyves  and  a  captive's  oath  are  one,  and  he  who 
rivets  on  the  one  must  keep  the  other!'  And  the 
birds  flew  away,  but  Abdul  went  to  seek  his  advo- 
cate to  have  the  law  of  them!  Now,  what  think  ye 
was  the  advocate's  opinion  in  the  matter,  and  what 
remedy  had  Abdul?" 

Has  the  sahib  ever  seen  three  hundred  men  all 
at  the  same  time  becoming  conscious  of  the  same 
idea?  That  is  quite  a  spectacle.  There  was  no  whis- 
pering, nor  any  movement  except  a  little  shifting  of 
the  feet.  There  was  nothing  on  which  a  watchful 
man  could  lay  a  finger.  Yet  between  one  second  and 
the  next  they  were  not  the  same  men,  and  I,  who 
watched  Ranjoor  Singh's  eyes  as  if  he  were  my  op- 
ponent in  a  duel,  saw  that  he  was  aware  of  what 
had  happened,  although  not  surprised.  But  he  made 
no  sign  except  the  shadow  of  one  that  I  detected, 
and  he  did  not  change  his  voice — ^as  yet. 

"As  for  me,"  he  said,  telling  a  tale  again,  "I  wrote 
once  on  the  seashore  sand  and  signed  my  name  be- 
neath. A  day  later  I  came  back  to  look,  but  neither 
name  nor  words  remained.  I  was  what  I  had  been, 
and  stood  where  the  sea  had  been,  but  what  I  had 
written  in  sand  affected  me  not,  neither  the  sea  nor 
any  man.  Thought  I,  if  one  had  lent  me  money  on 
such  a  perishable  note  the  courts  would  now  hold  him 
at  fault,  not  me;  they  would  demand  evidence,  and 
all  he  could  show  them  would  be  what  he  had  himself 
bargained  for.     Now  it  occurs  to  me  that  seashore 


90  HIRA  SINGH 

sand,  and  the  tricks  of  rogues,  and  blackmail,  and 
tyranny  perhaps  are  one!" 

Eye  met  eye,  all  up  and  down  both  lines  of  men. 
There  was  swift  searching  of  hearts,  and  some  of  the 
men  at  my  end  of  the  line  began  talking  in  low  tones. 
So  I  spoke  up  and  voiced  aloud  what  troubled  them. 

"If  we  sign  this  paper,  sahib,"  said  I,  'how  do  we 
know  they  will  not  find  means  of  bringing  it  to  the 
notice  of   the  British?" 

"We  do  not  know,''  he  answered.  "Let  us  hope. 
Hope  is  a  great  good  thing.  If  they  chained  us,  and 
we  broke  the  chains,  they  might  send  the  broken 
links  to  London  in  proof  of  what  thieves  we  be. 
Who  would  gain  by  that?" 

I  saw  a  very  little  frown  now  and  knew  that  he 
judged  it  time  to  strike  on  the  heated  metal.  But 
Gooja  Singh  turned  his  back  on  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Let  him  sign  this  thing,"  said  he,  "and  let  us 
sign  our  names  beneath  his  name.  Then  he  will 
be  in  the  same  trap  with  us  all,  and  must  lead  us 
out  of  it  or  perish  with  us !" 

So  Gooja  Singh  offered  himself,  all  uninten- 
tionally, to  be  the  scapegoat  for  us  all  and  I  have 
seldom  seen  a  man  so  shocked  by  what  befell  him. 
Only  a  dozen  words  spoke  Ranjoor  Singh — yet  it 
was  as  if  he  lashed  him  and  left  him  naked.  Whips 
and  a  good  man's  wrath  are  one. 

"Who  gave  thee  leave  to  yelp?"  said  he,  and 
Gooja  Singh  faced  about  like  a  man  struck.  By 
order  of  the  Germans  he  and  I  stood  in  the  place 
of  captains  on  parade,  he  on  the  left  and  I  on  the 
right. 


HIRA  SINGH  91 

*To  your  place!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 

Gooja  Singh  stepped  back  into  Une  with  me,  but 
Ranjoor  Singh  was  not  satisfied. 

"To  your  place  in  the  rear!"  he  ordered.  And 
so  I  have  seen  a  man  who  lost  a  lawsuit  slink  round 
a  comer  of  the  court. 

Then  I  spoke  up,  being  stricken  with  self-esteem 
at  the  sight  of  Gooja  Singh's  shame  (for  I  always 
knew  him  to  be  my  enemy). 

"Sahib,"  said  I,  "shall  I  pass  down  the  line  and 
ask  each  man  whether  he  will  sign  what  the  Ger- 
mans ask?" 

"Aye!"  said  he,  "like  the  carrion  crows  at  judg- 
ment! Halt!"  he  ordered,  for  already  I  had  taken 
the  first  step.  "When  I  need  to  send  a  havildar," 
said  he,  "to  ask  my  men's  permission,  I  will  call  for 
a  havildar!  To  the  rear  where  you  belong!"  he 
ordered.  And  I  went  round  to  the  rear,  knowing 
something  of  Gooja  Singh's  sensations,  but  loving 
him  no  better  for  the  fellow-feeling.  When  my 
footfall  had  altogether  ceased  and  there  was  silence 
in  which  one  could  have  heard  an  insect  falling  to 
the  ground,  Ranjoor  Singh  spoke  again.  "There  has 
been  enough  talk,"  said  he.  "In  pursuance  of  a  plan, 
I  intend  to  sign  whatever  the  Germans  ask.  Those 
who  prefer  not  to  sign  what  I  sign— fall  out!  Fall 
out,  I  say!" 

Not  a  man  fell  out,  sahib.  But  that  was  not 
enough  for  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Those  who  intend  to  sign  the  paper, — two  paces 
[forward, — ^march !"  said  he.  And'  as  one  man  we  took 
iywo  paces  forward. 


92  HIRA  SINGH 

"So!"  said  he.  "Right  turn!"  And  we  turned 
to  the  right.  "Forward!  Quick  march!"  he  or- 
dered. And  he  made  us  march  twice  in  a  square 
about  him  before  he  halted  us  again  and  turned  us 
to  the  front  to  face  him.  Then  he  was  fussy  about 
our  ahgnment,  making  us  take  up  our  dressing  half 
a  dozen  times;  and  when  he  had  us  to  his  satisfac- 
tion finally  he  stood  eying  us  for  several  minutes 
before  turning  his  back  and  striding  with  great  dig- 
nity toward  the  gate. 

He  talked  through  the  gate  and  very  soon  a  dozen 
Germans  entered,  led  by  two  officers  in  uniform  and 
followed  by  three  soldiers  carrying  a  table  and  a 
chair.  The  table  was  set  down  in  their  midst,  facing 
us,  and  the  senior  German  officer — in  a  uniform  with 
a  very  high  collar — handed  a  document  to  Ranjoor 
Singh.  When  he  had  finished  reading  it  to  himself 
he  stepped  forward  and  read  it  aloud  to  us.  It  was 
in  Punjabi,  excellently  rendered,  and  the  gist  of  it 
was  like  this: 

We,  being  weary  of  British  misrule,  British 
hypocrisy,  and  British  arrogance,  thereby  renounced 
allegiance  to  Great  Britain,  its  king  and  government, 
and  begged  earnestly  to  be  permitted  to  fight  on  the 
side  of  the  Central  Empires  in  the  cause  of  freedom. 
It  was  expressly  mentioned,  I  remember,  that  we 
made  this  petition  of  our  own  initiative  and  of  our 
own  free  will,  no  pressure  having  been  brought  to 
bear  on  us,  and  nothing  but  kindness  having  been 
oflfered  us  since  we  were  taken  prisoners. 

"That  is  what  we  are  all  required  to  sign,*'  said 
Ranjoor  Singh,  when  he  had  finished  reading,  and 


HIRA  SINGH  93 

lie  licked  his  lips  in  a  manner  I  had  never  seen  be- 
fore. 

Without  any  further  speech  to  us,  he  sat  down 
at  the  table  and  wrote  his  name  with  a  great  flourish 
on  the  paper,  setting  down  his  rank  beside  his  name. 
Then  he  called  to  me,  and  I  sat  and  wrote  my  name 
below  his,  adding  my  rank  also.  And  Gooja  Singh 
followed  me.  After  him,  in  single  file,  came  every 
surviving  man  of  Outram's  Own.  Some  men 
scowled,  and  some  men  laughed  harshly,  and  if  one 
of  our  race  had  been  watching  on  the  German  behalf 
he  would  have  been  able  to  tell  them  something. 
But  the  Germans  mistook  the  scowls  for  signs  of 
anger  at  the  British,  and  the  laughter  they  mistook 
for  rising  spirits,  so  that  the  whole  affair  passed  off 
without  arousing  their  suspicion. 

Nevertheless,  my  heart  warned  me  that  the  Ger- 
mans would  not  trust  a  regiment  seduced  as  we  were 
supposed  to  have  been.  And,  although  Ranjoor  Singh 
had  had  his  way  with  us,  the  very  having  had  de- 
stroyed the  reawakening  trust  in  him.  The  troopers 
felt  that  he  had  led  them  through  the  gates  of  treason. 
I  could  feel  their  thoughts  as  a  man  feels  the  breath 
of  coming  winter  on  his  cheek. 

When  the  last  man  had  signed  we  stood  at  atten- 
tion and  a  wagonload  of  rifles  was  brought  in,  drawn 
by  oxen.  They  gave  a  rifle  to  each  of  us,  and  we 
were  made  to  present  arms  while  the  German  mili- 
tary oath  was  read  aloud.  After  that  the  Germans 
walked  away  as  if  they  had  no  further  interest. 
Only  Ranjoor  Singh  remained,  and  he  gave  us  no 
time  just  then  for  comment  or  discontent. 


94  HIRA  SINGH 

The  mauser  rifles  were  not  so  very  much  unlike 
our  own,  and  he  set  us  to  drilling  with  them,  giving 
us  patient  instruction  but  very  little  rest  until  evening. 
During  the  longest  pause  in  the  drill  he  sent  for 
knapsacks  and  served  us  one  each,  filled  down  to 
the  smallest  detail  with  everything  a  soldier  could 
need,  even  to  a  little  cup  that  hung  from  a  hook 
beneath  one  corner.  We  were  utterly  worn  out 
when  he  left  us  at  nightfall,  but  there  was  a  lot  of 
talking  nevertheless  before  men  fell  asleep. 

*This  is  the  second  time  he  has  trapped  us  in 
deadly  earnest!"  was  the  sum  of  the  general  com- 
plaint they  hurled  at  me.  And  I  had  no  answer  to 
give  them,  knowing  well  that  if  I  took  his  part  I 
should  share  his  condemnation — which  would  not  help 
him ;  neither  would  it  help  them  nor  me. 

"My  thought,  of  going  to  the  mines  and  being 
troublesome,  was  best!"  said  I.  "Ye  overruled  me. 
Now  ye  would  condemn  me  for  not  preventing  you! 
Ye  are  wind  blowing  this  way  and  that!" 

They  were  so  busy  defending  themselves  to  them- 
selves against  that  charge  that  they  said  no  more 
until  sleep  fell  on  them;  and  at  dawn  Ranjoor  Singh 
took  hold  of  us  again  and  made  us  drill  until  our 
feet  burned  on  the  gravel  and  our  ears  were  full  of 
the  tramp-tramp-tramp,  and  the  ek-do-tin  of  manual 
exercise. 

"Listen!"  said  he  to  me,  when  he  had  dismissed 
us  for  dinner,  and  I  lingered  on  parade.  "Caution 
the  men  that  any  breach  of  discipline  would  be 
treated  under  German  military  law  by  drum-head 
court  martial   and  sentence  of   death   by   shooting. 


HIRA  SINGH  95 

Advise  them  to  avoid  indiscretions  of  any  kind,"  said 
he. 

So  I  passed  among  them,  pretending  the  sugges- 
tion was  my  own,  and  they  resented  it,  as  I  knew 
they  would.  But  I  observed  from  about  that  time 
they  began  to  look  on  Ranjoor  Singh  as  their  only 
possible  protector  against  the  Germans,  so  that  their 
animosity  against  him  was  offset  by  self-interest. 

The  next  day  came  a  staff  officer  who  marched  us 
to  the  station,  where  a  train  was  waiting.  Impossible 
though  it  may  seem,  sahib,  to  you  who  listen,  I  felt 
sad  when  I  looked  back  at  the  huts  that  had  been 
our  prison,  and  I  think  we  all  did.  We  had  loathed 
them  with  all  our  hearts  all  summer  long,  but  now 
they  represented  what  we  knew  and  we  were  march- 
ing away  from  them  to  what  we  knew  not,  with 
autumn  and  winter  brooding  on  our  prospects. 

Not  all  our  wounded  had  been  returned  to  us; 
some  had  died  in  the  German  hospitals.  Two  hun- 
dred-and-three-and-thirty  of  us  all  told,  including  Ran- 
joor Singh,  lined  up  on  the  station  platform — fit  and 
well  and  perhaps  a  little  fatter  than  was  seemly. 

Having  no  belongings  other  than  the  rifles  and 
knapsacks  and  what  we  stood  in  it  took  us  but 
a  few  moments  to  entrain.  Almost  at  once  the  engine 
whistled  and  we  were  gone,  wondering  whither. 
Some  of  the  troopers  shouted  to  Ranjoor  Singh  to 
ask  our  destination,  but  he  affected  not  to  hear.  The 
German  staff  officer  rode  in  the  front  compartment 
alone,  and  Ranjoor  Singh  rode  alone  in  the  next 
behind  him;  but  they  conversed  often  through  the 
window,  and  at  stations  where  the  two  of  them  got 


96  HIRA  SINGH 

out  to  stretch  their  legs  along  the  platform  they  might 
have  been  brothers-in-blood  relating  love-affairs.  Our 
troopers  wondered. 

"Our  fox  grows  gray,"  said  they,  "and  his  impu- 
dence increases." 

"Would  it  help  us  out  of  this  predicament,"  said 
I,  "if  he  smote  that  German  in  the  teeth  and  spat  on 
him?" 

They  laughed  at  that  and  passed  the  remark 
along  from  window  to  window,  until  I  roared  at 
them  to  keep  their  heads  in.  There  were  seven  of  us 
non-commissioned  officers,  and  we  rode  in  one  com- 
partment behind  the  officers'  carriage,  Gooja  Singh 
making  much  unpleasantness  because  there  was  not 
enough  room  for  us  all  to  lie  full  length  at  once.  We 
were  locked  into  our  compartment,  and  the  only 
chance  we  had  of  speaking  with  Ranjoor  Singh  was 
when  they  brought  us  food  at  stations  and  he  strode 
down  the  train  to  see  that  each  man  had  his  share. 

"What  is  our  destination?"  we  asked  him  then, 
repeatedly. 

"If  ye  be  true  men,"  he  answered,  "why  are  ye 
troubled  about  destination?  Can  the  truth  lead  you 
into  error?    Do  I  seem  afraid?"  said  he. 

That  was  answer  enough  if  we  had  been  the  true 
men  we  claimed  to  be,  and  he  gave  us  no  other.  So 
we  watched  the  sun  and  tried  to  guess  roughly,  I  re- 
calling all  the  geography  I  ever  knew,  yet  failing  to 
reach  conclusions  that  satisfied  myself  or  any  one. 
We  knew  that  Turkey  was  in  the  war,  and  we  knew 
that  Bulgaria  was  not.  Yet  we  traveled  eastward, 
and  southeastward. 


HIRA  SINGH  97 

I  know  now  that  we  traveled  over  the  edge  of 
Germany  into  Austria,  through  Austria  into  Hun- 
gary, and  through  a  great  part  of  Hungary  to  the 
River  Danube,  growing  so  weary  of  the  train  that  I 
for  one  looked  back  to  the  Flanders  trenches  as  to 
long-lost  happiness!  Every  section  of  line  over 
which  we  traveled  was  crowded  wlith  traffic,  and 
dozens  of  German  regiments  kept  passing  and  re- 
passing us.  Some  cheered  us  and  some  were  insult- 
ing, but  all  of  them  regarded  us  with  more  or  less 
astonishment. 

The  Austrians  were  more  openly  curious  about 
us  than  the  Germans  had  been,  and  some  of  them 
tried  to  get  into  conversation,  but  this  was  not  en- 
couraged; when  they  climbed  on  the  footboards  to 
peer  through  the  windows  and  ask  us  questions  offi- 
cers ordered  them  away. 

Of  all  the  things  we  wondered  at  on  that  long 
ride,  the  German  regiments  impressed  us  most. 
Those  that  passed  and  repassed  us  were  mostly  ar- 
tillery and  infantry,  and  surely  in  all  the  world  before 
there  never  were  such  regiments  as  those — with  the 
paint  worn  off  their  cannon,  and  their  clothes  soiled, 
yet  with  an  air  about  them  of  successful  plunderers, 
confident  to  the  last  degree  of  arrogance  in  their  own 
efficiency — not  at  all  like  British  regiments,  nor  like 
any  others  that  I  ever  saw.  It  was  Ranjoor  Singh 
who  drew  my  attention  to  the  fact  that  regiments 
passing  us  in  one  direction  would  often  pass  us  again 
on  their  way  back,  sometimes  within  the  day. 

"As  shuttles  in  a  loom!"  said  he.  "As  long  as 
they  can  do  that  they  can  fight  on  a  dozen  fronts." 


98  HIRA  SINGH 

His  words  set  me  wondering  so  that  I  did  not  answer 
him.  He  was  speaking  through  our  carriage  window 
and  I  stared  out  beyond  him  at  a  train-load  of  troops 
on  the  far  side  of  the  station. 

"One  comes  to  us,"  said  I.  I  was  watching  a 
German  sergeant,  who  had  dragged  his  belongings 
from  that  train  and  was  crossing  toward  us. 

"Aye!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  so  that  I  knew  now 
there  had  been  purpose  in  his  visit.  "Beware  of 
him."  Then  he  unlocked  the  carriage  door  and 
waited  for  the  German.  The  German  came,  and 
cursed  the  man  who  bore  his  baggage,  and  halted 
before  Ranjoor  Singh,  staring  into  his  face  with  a 
manner  of  impudence  new  to  me.  Ranjoor  Singh 
spoke  about  ten  words  to  him  in  German  and  the 
sergeant  there  and  then  saluted  very  respectfully. 
I  noticed  that  the  German  staff  officer  was  watching 
all  this  from  a  little  distance,  and  I  think  the  ser- 
geant caught  his  eye. 

At  any  rate,  the  sergeant  made  his  man  throw 
the  baggage  through  our  compartment  door.  The 
man  returned  to  the  other  train.  The  sergeant 
climbed  in  next  to  me.  Ranjoor  Singh  locked  the 
door  again,  and  both  trains  proceeded.  When  our 
train  was  beginning  to  gain  speed  the  newcomer 
shoved  me  in  the  ribs  abruptly  with  his  elbow — 
thus. 

"So  much  for  knowing  languages!"  said  he  to 
me  in  fairly  good  Punjabi.  "Curse  the  day  I  ever 
saw  India,  and  triple-curse  this  system  of  ours  that 
enabled  them  to  lay  finger  on  me  in  a  moving  train 
and  transfer  me  to  this  funeral  procession!     Curse 


HIRA  SINGH  99 

you,  and  curse  this  train,  and  curse  all  Asia!"  Then 
he  thrust  me  in  the  ribs  again,  as  if  that  were  a 
method  of  setting  aside  formality. 

"You  know  Cawnpore?"  said  he,  and  I  nodded. 

"You  know  the  Kaiser-i-hind   Saddle   Factory?" 

I  nodded  again,  being  minded  to  waste  no  words 
because  of  Ranjoor  Singh's  warning. 

"I  took  a  job  as  foreman  there  twenty  years  ago 
because  the  pay  was  good.  I  lived  there  fifteen  years 
until  I  was  full  to  the  throat  of  India — Indian  food, 
Indian  women,  Indian  drinks,  Indian  heat,  Indian 
smells,  Indian  everything.  I  hated  it,  and  threw 
up  the  job  in  the  end.  Said  I  to  myself.  Thank 
God,'  said  I,  *to  see  the  last  of  India.'  And  I  took 
passage  on  a  German  steamer  and  drank  enough 
German  beer  on  the  way  to  have  floated  two  ships 
her  size !  Aecht  Deutches  bier,  you  understand,"  said 
he,  nudging  me  in  the  ribs  with  each  word.  Aecht 
means  real,  as  distinguished  from  the  export  stuff  in 
bottles.  "I  drank  it  by  the  barrel,  straight  off  ice, 
and  it  went  to  my  head ! 

"That  must  be  why  I  boasted  about  knowing  In- 
dian languages  before  I  had  been  two  hours  in  port. 
I  was  drunk,  and  glad  to  be  home,  and  on  the  lookout 
for  another  job  to  keep  from  starving;  so  I  boasted 
I  could  speak  and  write  Urdu  and  Punjabi.  That 
brought  me  employment  in  an  export  house.  But 
who  would  have  guessed  it  would  end  in  my  being 
dragged  away  from  my  regiment  to  march  with  a  lot 
of  Sikhs  ?  Eh  ?  Who  would  have  guessed  it  ?  There 
goes  my  regiment  one  way,  and  here  go  I  another! 
What's    our    destination?     God    knows!    Who    are 


100  HIRA  SINGH 

you,  and  what  are  you?  God  neither  knows  nor 
cares!  What's  to  be  the  end  of  this?  The  end  of 
me,  I  expect — and  all  because  I  got  drunk  on  the  way 
home!  If  I  get  alive  out  of  this,"  said  he,  "I'll  get 
drunk  once  for  the  glory  of  God  and  then  never 
touch  beer  again !" 

And  he  struck  me  on  the  thigh  with  his  open  palm. 
The  noise  was  like  powder  detonating,  and  the  pain  was 
acute.  I  cursed  him  in  his  teeth  and  he  grinned  at  me 
as  if  he  and  I  were  old  friends.  Little  blue  eyes  he 
had,  sahib — light  blue,  set  in  full  red  cheeks.  There 
were  many  little  red  veins  crisscrossed  under  the  skin 
of  his  face,  and  his  breath  smelt  of  beer  and  tobacco. 
I  judged  he  had  the  physical  strength  of  a  buffalo,  al- 
though doubtless  short  of  wind. 

He  had  very  little  hair.  Such  as  he  had  was  yel- 
low, but  clipped  so  short  that  it  looked  white.  His 
yellow  mustache  was  turned  up  thus  at  either  comer 
of  his  mouth;  and  the  mouth  was  not  unkind,  not 
without  good  humor. 

"What  is  your  name?"  said  I. 

"Tugendheim,"  said  he.  "I  am  Sergeant  Fritz 
Tugendheim,  of  the  281  (Pappenheim)  Regiment  of 
Infantry,  and  would  God  I  were  with  my  regiment! 
What  do  they  call  you?" 

"Hira  Singh,"  said  I. 

"And  your  rank?" 

"Havildar,"  said  I. 

"Oh-ho!"  said  he.  "So  you're  all  non-commis- 
sioned in  here,  are  you?  Seven  of  you,  eh?    Seven  is  2i 

lucky  number !    Well "    He  looked  us  each  slowly 

in  the  face,  narrowing  his  eyes  so  that  we  could  scarcely 


HIRA  SINGH  lOV* 

see  them  under  the  yellow  lashes.  "Well,"  said  he, 
"they  won't  mistake  me  for  any  of  you,  nor  any  of 
you  for  me — not  even  if  I  should  grow  whiskers!" 

He  laughed  at  that  joke  for  about  two  minutes, 
slapping  me  on  the  thigh  again  and  laughing  all  the 
louder  when  I  showed  my  teeth.  Then  he  drew  out 
a  flask  of  some  kind  of  pungent  spirits  from  his 
pocket,  and  offered  it  to  me.  When  I  refused  he 
drank  the  whole  of  it  himself  and  flung  the  glass 
flask  through  the  window.  Then  he  settled  himself 
in  the  corner  from  which  he  had  ousted  me,  put  his 
feet  on  the  edge  of  the  seat  opposite,  and  prepared 
to  sleep.  But  before  very  long  our  German  staff 
oflicer  shouted  for  him  and  he  went  in  great  haste, 
a  station  official  opening  the  door  for  him  and  lock- 
ing us  in  again  afterward.  He  rode  for  hours  with 
the  staff  oflicer  and  Gooja  Singh  examined  the  whole 
of  his  kit,  making  remarks  on  each  piece,  to  the 
great  amusement  of  us  all. 

He  came  back  before  night  to  sleep  in  our  com- 
partment, but  before  he  came  I  had  taken  oppor- 
tunity to  pass  word  through  the  window  to  the 
troopers  in  the  carriage  next  behind. 

"Ranjoor  Singh,"  said  I,  "warns  us  all  to  be  on 
guard  against  this  German.  He  is  a  spy  set  to  over- 
hear our  talk." 

That  word  went  all  down  the  train  from  window 
to  window  and  it  had  some  effect,  for  during  all  the 
days  that  followed  Tugendheim  was  never  once  able 
to  get  between  us  and  our  thoughts,  although  he  tried 
a  thousand  times. 

Night  followed  day,  and  day  night.     Our  train 


im  HIRA  SINGH 

crawled,  and  waited,  and  crawled,  and  waited,  and 
we  in  our  compartment  grew  weary  to  the  death  of 
Tugendheim.  A  thousand  times  I  envied  Ranjoor 
Singh  alone  with  his  thoughts  in  the  next  compart- 
ment; and  so  far  was  he  from  suffering  because  of 
solitude  that  he  seemed  to  keep  more  and  more  apart 
from  us,  only  passing  swiftly  down  the  train  at  meal- 
times to  make  sure  we  all  .had  enough  to  eat  and 
that  there  were  no  sick. 

I  reached  the  conclusion  myself  that  we  were  be- 
ing sent  to  fight  against  the  Russians,  and  I  know  not 
what  the  troopers  thought ;  they  were  beginning  to  be 
like  caged  madmen.  But  suddenly  we  reached  a 
broad  river  I  knew  must  be  the  Danube  and  were 
allowed  at  last  to  leave  the  train.  We  were  so  glad 
to  move  about  again  that  any  news  seemed  good 
news,  and  when  Ranjoor  Singh,  after  much  talk  with 
our  staff  officer  and  some  other  Germans,  came  and 
told  us  that  Bulgaria  had  joined  the  war  on  the  side 
of  the  Central  Powers,  we  laughed  and  applauded. 
'That  means  that  our  road  lies  open  before  us," 
Ranjoor  Singh  said  darkly. 

"Our  road  whither?"  said  I. 
"To  Stamboul !"  said  he. 

"What  are  we  to  do  at  Stamboul?"  asked  Gooja 
Singh,  and  the  staff  officer,  whose  name  I  never 
knew,  heard  him  and  came  toward  us. 

"At  Stamboul,"  said  he,  in  fairly  good  Punjabi, 
"you  will  strike  a  blow  beside  our  friends,  the  Turks, 
Not  very  far  from  Stamboul  you  shall  be  given  op-" 
portunity  for  vengeance  on  the  British.  The  next 
to-the-last  stage  of  your  journey  lies  through  BuU 


HIRA  SINGH  103 

garia,  and  the  beginning  of  it  will  be  on  that 
steamer." 

We  saw  the  steamer,  lying  with  its  nose  toward 
the  bank.  It  was  no  very  big  one  for  our  number, 
but  they  marched  us  to  it,  Ranjoor  Singh  striding  at 
our  head  as  if  all  the  world  were  unfolding  before 
him,  and  all  were  his.  We  were  packed  on  board 
and  the  steamer  started  at  once,  Ranjoor  Singh  and 
the  staff  officer  sharing  the  upper  part  with  the 
steamer's  captain,  and  Tugendheim  elbowing  us  for 
room  on  the  open  deck.  So  we  journeyed  for  a 
whole  day  and  part  of  a  night  down  the  Danube, 
Tugendheim  pointing  out  to  me  things  I  should  ob-« 
serve  along  the  route,  but  grumbling  vastly  at  separa- 
tion  from  his  regiment. 

"You  bloody  Sikhs!"  said  he.  "I  would  rather 
march  with  lice — ^yet  what  can  I  do?  I  must  obey 
orders.  See  that  castle!"  There  were  many  castles, 
sahib,  at  bends  and  on  hilltops  overlooking  the  river. 
"They  built  that,"  said  he,  "in  the  good  old  days 
before  men  ever  heard  of  Sikhs.  Life  was  worth 
while  in  those  days,  and  a  man  lived  a  lifetime  with 
his  regiment!" 

"Ah!"  said  I,  choosing  not  to  take  offense;  for 
one  fool  can  make  trouble  that  perhaps  a  thousand 
wise  men  can  not  still.  If  he  had  thought,  he  must 
have  known  that  we  Sikhs  spend  a  lifetime  with  our 
regiments,  and  therefore  know  more  about  such  mat- 
ters than  any  German  reservist.  But  he  was  little 
given  to  thought,  although  not  ill-humored  in  in- 
tention. 

"Behold  that  building!"  said  he.    "That  looks  like 


104  HIRA  SINGH 

a  brewery !  Consider  the  sea  of  beer  they  brew  there 
once  a  month,  and  then  think  of  your  oath  of  ab- 
stinence and  what  you  miss !" 

So  he  talked,  ever  nudging  me  in  the  ribs  until  I 
grew  sore  and  my  very  gorge  revolted  at  his  foolish- 
ness. So  we  sailed,  passing  along  a  river  that  at 
another  time  would  have  delighted  me  beyond  power 
of  speech.  A  day  and  a  night  we  sailed,  our  little 
steamer  being  one  of  a  fleet  all  going  one  way.  Tugs 
and  tugs  and  tugs  there  were,  all  pulling  strings  of 
barges.  It  was  as  if  all  the  tugs  and  barges  out  of 
Austria  were  hurrying  with  all  the  plunder  of  Europe 
God  knew  whither. 

"Whither  are  they  taking  all  this  stuff?"  I  asked 
Ranjoor  Singh  when  he  came  down  among  us  to 
inspect  our  rations.  He  and  I  stood  together  at  the 
stern,  and  I  waved  my  arm  to  designate  the  fleet  of 
floating  things.  We  were  almost  the  only  troops, 
although  there  were  soldiers  here  and  there  on  the 
tugs  and  barges,  taking  charge  and  supervising. 

"To  Stamboul,"  said  he.  "Bulgaria  is  in.  The 
road  to  Stamboul  is  open." 

"Sahib,"  said  I,  "I  know  you  are  true  to  the  raj. 
I  know  the  surrender  in  Flanders  was  the  only  course 
possible  for  one  to  whom  the  regiment  had  been  en- 
trusted. I  know  this  business  of  taking  the  German 
side  is  all  pretense.  Are  we  on  the  way  to  Stam- 
boul?" 

"Aye,"  said  he. 

"What  are  we  to  do  at  Stamboul?"  I  asked  him. 

"If  you  know  all  you  say  you  know,"  said  he, 
"why  let  the  future  trouble  you?" 


HIRA  SINGH  105 

"But ^"  said  I. 

"Nay,"  said  he,  "there  can  be  no  *but/  There  is 
false  and  true.  The  one  has  no  part  in  the  other. 
What  say  the  men?" 

"They  are  true  to  the  raj,"  said  I. 

"All  of  them?"  he  asked. 

"Nay,  sahib,"  said  I.  "Not  quite  all  of  them, 
but  almost  all." 

He  nodded.  "We  shall  discover  before  long 
which  are  false  and  which  are  true,"  said  he,  and 
then  he  left  me. 

So  I  told  the  men  that  we  were  truly  on  our  way 
to  Stamboul,  and  there  began  new  wondering  and 
new  conjecturing.  The  majority  decided  at  once 
that  we  were  to  be  sent  to  Gallipoli  to  fight  beside 
the  Turks  in  the  trenches  there,  and  presently  they 
all  grew  very  determined  to  put  no  obstacle  in  the 
Germans'  way  but  to  go  to  Gallipoli  with  good  will. 
Once  there,  said  they  all,  i-t  should  be  easy  to  cross 
to  the  British  trenches  under  cover  of  the  darkness. 

"We  will  take  Ranjoor  Singh  with  us,"  they  said 
darkly.  "Then  he  can  make  explanation  of  his  con- 
duct in  the  proper  time  and  place !"  I  saw  one  man 
hold  his  turban  end  as  if  it  were  a  bandage  over  his 
eyes,  and  several  others  snapped  their  fingers  to  sug- 
gest a  firing  party.  Many  of  the  others  laughed. 
Men  in  the  dark,  thought  I,  are  fools  to  do  anything 
but  watch  and  listen.  Outlines  change  with  the 
dawn,  thought  I,  and  I  determined  to  reserve  my 
judgment  on  all  points  except  one — that  I  set  full 
faith  in  Ranjoor  Singh.  But  the  men  for  the  most 
part  had  passed  judgment  and  decided  on  a  plan ;  so 


106  HIRA  SINGH 

it  came  about  that  there  was  no  trouble  in  the  matter 
of  getting  them  to  Stamboul— or  Constantinople,  as 
Europeans  call  it. 

At  a  place  in  Bulgaria  whose  name  I  have  forgot- 
ten we  disembarked  and  became  escort  to  a  caravan 
of  miscellaneous  stores,  proceeding  by  forced 
marches  over  an  abominable  road.  And  after  I  for- 
get how  many  days  and  nights  we  reached  a  railway 
and  were  once  more  packed  into  a  train.  Through- 
out that  march,  although  we  traversed  wild  country 
where  any  or  all  of  us  might  easily  have  deserted 
among  the  mountains,  Ranjoor  Singh  seemed  so  well 
to  understand  our  intention  that  he  scarcely  troubled 
himself  to  call  the  roll.  He  sat  alone  by  a  little  fire 
at  night,  and  slept  beside  it  wrapped  in  an  overcoat 
and  blanket.  And  when  we  boarded  a  train  again 
he  was  once  more  alone  in  a  compartment  to  him- 
self. Once  more  I  was  compelled  to  sit  next  to 
Tugendheim. 

I  grew  no  fonder  of  Tugendheim,  although  he 
made  many  efforts  to  convince  me  of  his  friendship, 
making  many  prophetic  statements  to  encourage  me. 

"Soon,"  said  he,  "you  shall  have  your  bayonet  in 
the  belly  of  an  Englishman!  You  will  be  revenged 
on  them  for  '571"  My  grandfather  fought  for  the 
British  in  '57,  sahib,  and  my  father,  who  was  little 
more  than  old  enough  to  run,  carried  food  to  him 
where  he  lay  on  the  Ridge  before  Delhi,  the  British 
having  little  enough  food  at  that  time  to  share  among 
their  friends.  But  I  said  nothing,  and  Tugendheim 
thought  I  was  impressed — ^as  indeed  I  was.  **You 
will  need  to  fight  like  the  devil,"  said  he,  "for  if  they 
catch  you  they'll  skin  you !" 


HIRA  SINGH  lO; 

Partly  he  wished  to  discover  what  my  thoughts 
were,  and  partly,  I  think,  his  intention  was  to  fill 
me  with  fighting  courage;  and,  since  it  would  not 
have  done  to  keep  silence  altogether,  I  bega.n  to  pro- 
ject the  matter  further  and  to  talk  of  what  might  be 
after  the  war  should  have  been  won.  I  made  him 
believe  that  the  hope  of  all  us  Sikhs  was  to  seek 
official  employment  under  the  German  government; 
and  he  made  bold  to  prophesy  a  good  job  for  every 
one  of  us.  We  spent  hours  discussing  what  nature 
of  employment  would  best  be  suited  to  our  genius, 
and  he  took  opportunity  at  intervals  to  go  to  the  staft 
officer  and  acquaint  him  with  all  that  I  had  said.  By 
the  time  we  reached  Stamboul  at  last  I  was  more 
weary  of  him  than  an  ill-matched  bullock  of  its  yoke. 

But  we  did  reach  Stamboul  in  the  end,  on  a  rainy 
morning,  and  marched  wondering  through  its 
crooked  streets,  scarcely  noticed  by  the  inhabitants. 
Men  seemed  afraid  to  look  long  at  us,  but  glanced 
once  swiftly  and  passed  on,  German  officers  were 
everywhere,  many  of  them  driven  in  motor-cars  at 
great  speed  through  narrow  thoroughfares,  scatter- 
ing people  to  right  and  left;  the  Turkish  officers  ap- 
peared to  treat  them  with  very  great  respect — al- 
though I  noticed  here  and  there  a  few  who  looked 
indifferent,  and  occasionally  others  who  seemed  to  me 
indignant. 

The  mud,  though  not  so  bad  as  that  in  Flanders, 
was  nearly  as  depressing.  The  rain  chilled  the  air, 
and  shut  in  the  view,  and  few  of  us  had  very  much 
sense  of  direction  that  first  day  in  Stamboul.  Tugend- 
heim,  marching  behind  us,  kept  up  an  incessant  growl. 
Ranjoor  Singh,  striding  in  front  of  us  with  the  staff 


108  HIRA  SINGH 

officer  at  his  side,  shook  the  rain  from  his  shoulders 
and  said  nothing. 

We  were  marched  to  a  ferry  and  taken  across 
what  I  know  now  was  the  Golden  Horn;  and  there 
was  so  much  mist  on  the  water  that  at  times  we  could 
scarcely  see  the  ferry.  Many  troopers  asked  me 
if  we  were  not  already  on  our  way  to  Gallipoli,  and  I, 
knowing  no  more  than  they,  bade  them  wait  and  see. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  Golden  Horn  we  were 
marched  through  narrow  streets,  uphill,  uphill,  uphill 
to  a  very  great  barrack  and  given  a  section  of  it  to 
ourselves.  Ranjoor  Singh  was  assigned  private 
quarters  in  a  part  of  the  building  used  by  many  Ger- 
man officers  for  their  mess.  Not  knowing  our  tongue, 
those  officers  were  obliged  to  converse  with  him  in 
English,  and  I  observed  many  times  with  what  dis- 
taste they  did  so,  to  my  great  amusement.  I  think 
Ranjoor  Singh  was  also  much  amused  by  that,  for 
he  grew  far  better  humored  and  readier  to  talk. 

Sahib,  that  barrack  was  like  a  zoo — like  the  zoo  I 
saw  once  at  Baroda,  with  animals  of  all  sorts  in  it! 
— a,  great  yellow  building  within  walls,  packed  with 
Kurds  and  Arabs  and  Syrians  of  more  different 
fribes  than  a  man  would  readily  believe  existed  in  the 
whole  world.  Few  among  them  could  talk  any  tongue 
that  we  knew,  but  they  were  full  of  curiosity  and 
crowded  round  us  to  ask  questions;  and  when  Gooja 
Singh  shouted  aloud  that  we  were  Sikhs  from  India 
they  produced  a  man  who  seemed  to  think  he  knew 
about  Sikhs,  for  he  stood  on  a  step  and  harangued 
them  for  ten  minutes,  they  listening  with  all  their  ears. 


HIRA  SINGH  109 

Then  came  a  Turk  from  the  German  officers' 
mess — we  were  all  standing  in  the  rain  in  an  open 
court  between  four  walls — and  he  told  them  truly 
who  we  were.  Doubtless  he  added  that  we  were  in 
revolt  against  the  British,  for  they  began  to  welcome 
uSv  shouting  and  dancing  about  us,  those  who  could 
come  near  enough  taking  our  hands  and  saying  things 
we  could  not  understand. 

Presently  they  found  a  man  who  knew  some 
English,  and,  urged  by  them,  he  began  to  fill  our  ears 
with  information.  During  our  train  journey  I  had 
amused  myself  for  many  weary  hours  by  asking 
Tugendheim  for  details  of  the  fighting  he  had  seen 
and  by  listening  to  the  strings  of  lies  he  thought  fit 
to  narrate.  But  what  Tugendheim  had  told  were 
almost  truths  compared  to  this  man's  stories ;  in  place 
of  Tugendheim's  studied  vagueness  there  was  detail 
in  such  profusion  that  I  can  not  recall  now  the 
hundredth  part  of  it. 

He  told  us  the  British  fleet  had  long  been  rusting 
at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  that  all  the  British 
generals  and  half  the  army  were  prisoners  in  Berlin. 
Already  the  British  were  sending  tribute  money  to 
their  conquerors,  and  the  principal  reason  why  the 
war  continued  was  that  the  British  could  not  find 
enough  donkeys  to  carry  all  the  gold  to  Berlin,  and 
to  prevent  trickery  of  any  kind  the  fighting  must  con- 
tinue until  the  last  coin  should  have  been  counted. 

The  British  and  French,  he  told  us,  were  all  to 
be  compelled,  at  the  point  of  the  sword,  to  turn  Mu- 
hammadan,    and    France    was    being    scoured    that 


110  HIRA  SINGH 

minute  for  women  to  grace  the  harems  of  the  kaiser 
and  his  sons  and  generals,  all  of  whom  had  long  ago 
accepted  Islam.  The  kaiser,  indeed,  had  become  the 
new  chief  of  Islam. 

I  asked  him  about  the  fighting  in  Gallipoli,  and 
he  said  that  was  a  bagatelle.  "When  we  shall  have 
driven  the  remnants  of  those  there  into  the  sea,"  said 
he,  "one  part  of  us  will  march  to  conquer  Egypt  and 
the  rest  will  be  sent  to  garrison  England  and  France." 

When  he  had  done  and  we  were  all  under  cover 
at  last  I  repeated  to  the  men  all  that  this  fool  had 
said,  and  they  were  very  much  encouraged;  for  they 
reasoned  that  if  the  Turks  and  Germans  needed  to 
fill  up  their  men  with  such  lies  as  those,  then  they 
naust  have  a  poor  case  indeed.  With  our  coats  off, 
and  a  meal  before  us,  and  the  mud  and  rain  for- 
gotten, we  all  began  to  feel  almost  happy;  and  while 
we  were  in  that  mood  Ranjoor  Singh  came  to  us  with 
Tugendheim  at  his  heels. 

"The  plan  now  is  to  keep  us  here  a  week,"  said 
he.     "After  that  to  send  us  to  Gallipoli  by  steamer." 

Sahib,  there  was  uproar!  Men  could  scarcely  eat 
for  the  joy  of  getting  in  sight  of  British  lines  again — 
or  rather  for  joy  of  the  promise  of  it.  They  almost 
forgot  to  suspect  Ranjoor  Singh  in  that  minute,  but 
praised  him  to  his  face  and  even  made  much  of 
Tugendheim. 

But  I,  who  followed  Ranjoor  Singh  between  the 
tables  in  case  he  should  have  any  orders  to  give, 
noticed  particularly  that  he  did  not  say  we  were  going 
to  Gallipoli.  He  said,  "The  plan  now  is  to  send  us 
to  Gallipoli."     The  trade  of  a  leader  of  squadrons. 


HIRA  SINGH  111 

thought  I,  is  to  confound  the  laid  plans  of  the  enemy 
and  to  invent  unexpected  ones  of  his  own. 

"The  day  we  land  in  Gallipoli  behind  the  Turkish 
trenches,"  said  I  to  myself,  "is  unlikely  to  be  yet  if 
Ranjoor  Singh  lives." 

And  I  was  right,  sahib.  But  if  I  had  been  given 
a  thousand  years  in  which  to  do  it,  I  never  could  have 
guessed  how  Ranjoor  Singh  would  lead  us  out  of  the 
trap.    Can  the  sahib  guess? 


CHAPTER  IV 

Fear  comes  and  goes,  but  a  man's  love  lives  with 
him. — Eastern  Proverb. 

Stamboul  was  disillusionment — a  city  of  rain  and 
plagues  and  stinks!  The  food  in  barracks  was  mag- 
goty. We  breathed  foul  air  and  yearned  for  the 
streets;  yet,  once  in  the  streets,  we  yearned  to  be 
back  in  barracks.  Aye,  sahib,  we  saw  more  in  one 
day  of  the  streets  than  we  thought  good  for  us,  none 
yet  understanding  the  breadth  of  Ranjoor  Singh^s 
wakefulness.  He  seemed  to  us  like  a  man  asleep  in 
good  opinion  of  himself — that  being  doubtless  the 
opinion  he  wished  the  German  officers  to  have  of  him. 

Part  of  the  German  plan  became  evident  at  once, 
for,  noticing  our  great  enthusiasm  at  the  prospect  of 
being  sent  to  Gallipoli,  Tugendheim,  in  the  hope  of 
winning  praise,  told  a  German  officer  we  ought  to  be 
paraded  through  the  streets  as  evidence  that  Indian 
troops  really  were  fighting  with  the  Central  Powers. 
The  German  officer  agreed  instantly,  Tugendheim 
making  faces  thus  and  brushing  his  mustache  more 
fiercely  upward. 

So  the  very  first  morning  after  our  arrival  we 
were  paraded  early  and  sent  out  with  a  negro  band, 
to  tramp  back  and  forth  through  the  streets  until 
nearly  too  weary  to  desire  life.  Ranjoor  Singh 
marched  at  our  head  looking  perfectly  contented,  for 
which  the  men  all  hated  him,  and  beside  him  went  a 

112 


HIRA  SINGH  113 

Turk  who  knew  English  and  who  told  him  the  names 
of  streets  and  places. 

It  did  not  escape  my  observation  that  Ranjoor 
Singh  was  interested  more  than  a  little  in  the  water- 
front. But  we  all  tramped  like  dumb  men,  splashed 
to  the  waist  with  street  dirt,  aware  we  were  being 
used  to  make  a  mental  impression  on  the  Turks,  but 
afraid  to  refuse  obedience  lest  we  be  not  sent  to 
Gallipoli  after  all.  One  thought  obsessed  every 
single  man  but  me:  To  get  to  Gallipoli,  and  escape 
to  the  British  trenches  during  some  dark  night,  or 
perish  in  the  effort. 

As  for  me,  I  kept  open  mind  and  watched.  It  is 
the  non-commissioned  officer's  affair  to  herd  the  men 
for  his  officer  to  lead.  To  have  argued  with  them 
or  have  suggested  alternative  possibilities  would 
have  been  only  to  enrage  them  and  make  them  deaf 
to  wise  counsels  when  the  proper  time  should  come. 
And,  besides,  I  knew  no  more  what  Ranjoor  Singh 
had  in  mind  than  a  dead  man  knows  of  the  weather. 
We  marched  through  the  streets,  and  marched, 
stared  at  silently,  neither  cheered  nor  mocked  by  the 
inhabitants;  and  Ranjoor  Singh  arrived  at  his  own 
conclusions.  Five  several  times  during  that  one  day 
he  halted  us  in  the  mud  at  a  certain  place  along  the 
water-front,  although  there  was  a  better  place  near 
by;  and  while  we  rested  he  asked  peculiar  questions, 
and  the  Turk  boasted  to  him,  explaining  many  things. 

We  were  exhausted  when  it  fell  dark  and  we 
climbed  up  the  hill  again  to  barracks.  Yet  as  we 
entered  the  barrack  gate  I  heard  Ranjoor  Singh  tell 
a  German  officer  in  English  that  we  had  all  greatly 


114  HIRA  SINGH 

enjoyed  our  view  of  the  dty  and  the  exercise.  I 
repeated  what  I  had  heard  while  the  men  were  at 
supper,  and  they  began  to  wonder  greatly. 

"Such  a  lie  1"  said  they. 

"That  surely  was  a  lie?"  I  asked,  and  they 
answered  that  the  man  who  truly  had  enjoyed  such 
tramping  to  and  fro  was  no  soldier  but  a  mud-fish. 

"Then,  if  he  lies  to  them,"  I  said,  "perhaps  he 
tells  us  the  truth  after  all." 

They  howled  at  me,  calling  me  a  man  without 
understanding.  Yet  when  I  went  away  I  left  them 
thinking,  each  man  for  himself,  and  that  was  good. 
I  went  to  change  the  guard,  for  some  of  our  men 
were  put  on  sentry-go  that  night  outside  the  officers' 
quarters,  in  spite  of  our  utter  weariness.  We  were 
smarter  than  the  Kurds,  and  German  officers  like 
smartness. 

Weary  though  Ranjoor  Singh  must  have  been, 
he  sat  late  with  the  German  officers,  for  the  most  part 
keeping  silence  while  they  talked.  I  made  excuse  to 
go  and  speak  with  him  half  a  dozen  times,  and  the 
last  time  I  could  hardly  find  him  among  the  wreaths 
of  cigarette  smoke. 

"Sahib,  must  we  really  stay  a  week  in  this  hole?" 
I  asked. 

"So  say  the  Germans,"  said  he. 

"Are  we  to  be  paraded  through  the  streets  each 
day?"  I  asked. 

"I  understand  that  to  be  the  plan,"  he  answered. 

"Then  the  men  will  mutiny!"  said  I, 

"Nay!"  said  he,  "let  them  seek  better  cause  than 
that!" 


HIRA  SINGH  115 

**Shall  I  tell  them  so?"  said  I,  and  he  looked  into 
my  eyes  through  the  smoke  as  if  he  would  read  down 
into  my  very  heart. 

"Aye!"  said  he  at  last.    "You  may  tell  them  so!" 

So  I  went  and  shook  some  of  the  men  awake  and 
told  them,  and  when  they  had  done  being  angry  they 
laughed  at  me.  Then  those  awoke  the  others,  and 
soon  they  all  had  the  message.  On  the  whole,  it 
bewildered  them,  even  as  it  did  me,  so  that  few 
dared  offer  an  opinion  and  each  began  thinking  for 
himself  again.  By  morning  they  were  in  a  mood  to 
await  developments.  They  were  even  willing  to 
tramp  the  streets;  but  Ranjoor  Singh  procured  us  a 
day's  rest.  He  himself  spent  most  of  the  day  with 
the  German  officers,  poring  over  maps  and  talking. 
I  went  to  speak  with  him  as  often  as  I  could  invent 
excuse,  and  I  became  familiar  with  the  word  Wass- 
muss  that  they  used  very  frequently.  I  heard  the 
word  so  many  times  that  I  could  not  forget  it  if  I 
tried. 

The  next  day  Ranjoor  Singh  had  a  surprise  for 
us.  At  ten  in  the  morning  we  were  all  lined  up  in 
the  rain  and  given  a  full  month's  j>ay.  It  was  almost 
midday  when  the  last  man  had  received  his  money, 
and  when  we  were  dismissed  and  the  men  filed  in  to 
dinner  Ranjoor  Singh  bade  me  go  among  them  and 
ask  whether  they  did  not  wish  opportunity  to  spend 
their  money. 

So  I  went  and  asked  the  question.  Only  a  few 
said  yes.  Many  preferred  to  keep  their  money 
against  contingencies,  and  some  thought  the  question 
•was  a  trick  and  refused  to  answer  it  at  all.     I  re- 


116  HIRA  SINGH 

turned  to  Ranjoor  Singh  and  told  him  what  they 
answered. 

"Go  and  ask  them  again !"  said  he. 

So  I  went  among  them  again  as  they  lay  on  the 
cots  after  dinner,  and  most  of  them  jeered  at  me  for 
my  pains. ^  I  went  and  found  Ranjoor  Singh  in  the 
officers'  mess  and  told  him. 

"Ask  them  once  more!"  said  he. 

This  third  time,  being  in  no  mood  to  endure  mock- 
ery, I  put  the  question  with  an  air  of  mystery.  They 
asked  what  the  hidden  meaning  might  be,  but  I  shook 
my  head  and  repeated  the  question  with  a  smile,  as 
if  I  knew  indeed  but  would  not  tell. 

"Says  Ranjoor  Singh,"  said  I,  "would  the  men 
like  opportunity  to  spend  their  money?" 

"No !"  said  most  of  them,  and  Gooja  Singh  asked 
how  long  it  well  might  be  before  we  should  see  money 
again. 

"Shall  I  bear  him,  a  third  time,  such  an  answer?" 
I  asked,  looking  more  mysterious  than  ever.  And 
just  then  it  happened  that  Gooja  Singh  remembered 
the  advice  to  seek  better  cause  for  mutiny.  Hie 
drummed  on  his  teeth  with  his  fingernails. 

"Very  well!"  said  he.  "Tell  him  we  will  either 
spend  our  money  or  let  blood!  Let  us  see  what  he 
says  to  that!" 

"Shall  I  say,"  said  I,  "that  Gooja  Singh  says  so?" 

"Nay,  nay!"  said  he,  growing  anxious.  "Let  that 
be  the  regiment's  answer.     Name  no  names!" 

I  thought  it  a  foolish  answer,  given  by  a  fool,  but 
the  men  were  in  the  mood  to  relish  it  and  began  to 
laugh  exceedingly. 


HIRA  SINGH  117 

"Shall  I  take  that  answer?"  said  I,  and  they 
answered  "Yes!"  redoubling  their  emphasis  when  I 
objected.  "The  Germans  do  Ranjoor  Singh's  think- 
ing for  him  these  days,"  said  one  man;  "take  that 
answer  and  let  us  see  what  the  Germans  have  to  say 
to  it  through  his  mouth!" 

So  I  went  and  told  Ranjoor  Singh,  whispering  to 
him  in  a  corner  of  the  officers'  mess.  Some  Turks 
had  joined  the  Germans  and  most  of  them  were 
bending  over  maps  that  a  German  officer  had  spread 
upon  a  table  in  their  midst;  he  was  lecturing  while 
the  others  listened.  Ranjoor  Singh  had  been  Hsten- 
ing,  too,  but  he  backed  into  a  corner  as  I  entered,  and 
all  the  while  I  was  whispering  to  him  I  kept  hearing 
the  word  Wassmuss — Wassmuss — Wassmuss.  The 
German  who  was  lecturing  explained  something  about 
this  Wassmuss. 

"What  is  Wassmuss?"  I  asked,  when  I  had  given 
Ranjoor  Singh  the  men's  answer.  He  smiled  into 
my  eyes. 

"Wassmuss  is  the  key  to  the  door,"  said  he. 

"To  which  door?"  I  asked  him. 

"There  is  only  one,"  he  answered. 

"Shall  I  tell  that  to  the  men?"  said  I. 

At  that  he  began  scowling  at  me,  stroking  his 
beard  with  one  hand.  Then  he  stepped  back  and 
forth  a  time  or  two.  And  when  he  saw  with  the  cor- 
ner of  his  eye  that  he  had  the  senior  German  officer's 
attention  he  turned  on  me  and  glared  again.  There 
was  sudden  silence  in  the  room,  and  I  stood  at  atten- 
tion, striving  to  look  like  a  man  of  wood. 

"It  is  as  I  said,"  said  he  in  English.     "It  was 


118  HIRA  SINGH 

most  unwise  to  pay  them.  Now  the  ruffians  demand 
liberty  to  go  and  spend — ^and  that  means  license  I 
They  have  been  prisoners  of  war  in  close  confine- 
ment too  long.  You  should  have  sent  them  to 
Gallipoli  before  they  tasted  money  or  anything  else 
but  work!     Who  shall  control  such  men  now!'' 

The  German  officer  stroked  his  chin,  eying  Ran- 
joor  Singh  sternly,  yet  I  thought  irresolutely. 

"If  they  would  be  safer  on  board  a  steamer,  that 
can  be  managed.  A  steamer  came  in  to-day,  that 
would  do,"  said  he,  speaking  in  English,  perhaps  lest 
the  Turks  understand.  "And  there  is  Tugendheim, 
of  course.    Tugendheim  could  keep  watch  on  board." 

I  think  he  had  more  to  say,  but  at  that  minute 
Ranjoor  Singh  chose  to  turn  on  me  fiercely  and  order 
me  out  of  the  room. 

"Tell  them  what  you  have  heard!"  he  said  in 
Punjabi,  as  if  he  were  biting  my  head  off,  and  I 
expect  the  German  officer  believed  he  had  cursed  me. 
I  saluted  and  ran,  and  one  of  the  Turkish  officers 
aimed  a  kick  at  me  as  I  passed.  It  was  by  the  favor 
of  God  that  the  kick  missed,  for  had  he  touched  me 
I  would  have  torn  his  throat  out,  and  then  doubtless 
I  should  not  have  been  here  to  tell  what  Ranjoor 
Singh  did.  To  this  day  I  do  not  know  whether  he 
had  every  move  planned  out  in  his  mind,  or  whether 
part  was  thinking  and  part  good  fortune.  When  a 
good  man  sets  himself  to  thinking,  God  puts  thoughts 
into  his  heart  that  others  can  not  overcome,  and  it 
may  be  that  he  simply  prayed.  I  know  not — al- 
though I  know  he  prayed  often,  as  a  true  Sikh  should. 

I  told  the  men  exactly  what  had  passed,  except 
that  I  did  not  say  Ranjoor  Singh  had  bidden  me  da 


HIRA  SINGH  110 

$0.  I  gave  them  to  understand  that  I  was  revealing 
a  secret,  and  that  gave  them  greater  confidence  in  my 
loyalty  to  them.  It  was  important  they  should  not 
suspect  me  of  allegiance  to  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"It  is  good!"  said  they  all,  after  a  lot  of  talking 
and  very  little  thought.  "To  be  sent  on  board  a 
steamer  could  only  mean  Gallipoli.  There  we  will 
make  great  show  of  ferocity  and  bravery,  so  that  they 
will  send  us  to  the  foremost  trenches.  It  should  be 
easy  to  steal  across  by  night  to  the  British  trenches, 
dragging  Ranjoor  Singh  with  us,  and  when  we  are 
among  friends  again  let  him  give  what  account  of 
himself  he  may!  What  new  shame  is  this,  to  tell  the 
Germans  we  will  make  trouble  because  we  have  a 
little  money  at  last!  Let  the  shame  return  to  roost 
on  him!" 

They  began  to  make  ready  there  and  then,  and 
while  they  packed  the  knapsacks  I  urged  them  to 
shout  and  laugh  as  if  growing  mutinous.  Soldiers, 
unless  prevented,  load  themselves  like  pack  animals 
with  a  hundred  unnecessary  things,  but  none  of  us 
had  more  than  the  full  kit  for  each  man  that  the 
Germans  had  served  out,  so  that  packing  took  no 
time  at  all.  An  hour  after  we  were  ready  came  Ran- 
joor Singh,  standing  in  the  door  of  our  quarters  with 
that  senior  German  officer  beside  him,  both  of  them 
scowling  at  us,  and  the  German  making  more  than  a 
little  show  of  possessing  a  repeating  pistol.  So  that 
Gooja  Singh  made  great  to-do  about  military  compli- 
ments, rebuking  several  troopers  in  loud  tones  for 
not  standing  quickly  to  attention,  and  shouting  to  me 
to  be  more  strict.     I  let  him  have  his  say. 

Angrily   as   a   gathering  thunder-storm    Ranjoor 


120  HIRA  SINGH 

Singh  ordered  us  to  fall  in,  and  we  scrambled  out 
through  the  doorway  like  a  pack  of  hunting  hounds 
released.  No  word  was  spoken  to  us  by  way  of  ex- 
planation, Ranjoor  Singh  continuing  to  scowl  with 
folded  arms  while  the  German  officer  went  back  to 
look  the  quarters  over,  perhaps  to  see  whether  we 
had  done  damage,  or  perhaps  to  make  certain  nothing 
had  been  left.  He  came  out  in  a  minute  or  two  and 
then  we  were  marched  out  of  the  barrack  in  the 
dimming  light,  with  Tugendheim  in  full  marching 
order  falling  into  step  behind  us  and  the  senior  Ger- 
man officer  smoking  a  cigar  beside  Ranjoor  Singh. 
A  Kurdish  soldier  carried  Tugendheim's  bag  of  be- 
longings, and  Tugendheim  kicked  him  savagely  when 
he  dropped  it  in  a  pool  of  mud.  I  thought  the  Kurd 
would  knife  him,  but  he  refrained. 

I  think  I  have  said,  sahib,  that  the  weather  was 
vile.  We  were  glad  of  our  overcoats.  As  we 
marched  along  the  winding  road  downhill  we  kept 
catching  glimpses  of  the  water-front  through  driving 
rain,  light  after  light  appearing  as  the  twilight 
gathered.  Nobody  noticed  us.  There  seemed  to  be 
no  one  in  the  streets,  and  small  wonder! 

Before  we  were  half-way  down  toward  the  water 
there  began  to  be  a  very  great  noise  of  firing,  of  big 
and  little  cannon  and  rifles.  There  began  to  be  shout- 
ing, and  men  ran  back  and  forth  below  us.  I  asked 
Tugendheim  what  it  all  might  mean,  and  he  said  prob- 
ably a  British  submarine  had  shown  itself.  I  whis- 
pered that  to  the  nearest  men  and  they  passed  the 
word  along.  Great  contentment  grew  among  us, 
none  caring  after  that  for  rain  and  mud.    That  was 


HIRA  SINGH  121 

the  nearest  we  had  been  to  friends  in  oh  how  many 
months — if  it  truly  were  a  British  submarine! 

We  reached  the  water-front  presently  and  were 
brought  to  a  halt  in  exactly  the  place  where  Ranjoor 
Singh  had  halted  us  those  five  times  on  the  day  we 
tramped  the  streets.  We  faced  a  dock  that  had  been 
vacant  two  days  ago,  but  where  now  a  little 
steamer  lay  moored  with  ropes,  smoke  coming  from 
its  funnel.  There  was  no  other  sign  of  life,  but  when 
the  German  officer  shouted  about  a  dozen  times  the 
Turkish  captain  came  ashore,  wrapped  in  a  great 
shawl,  and  spoke  to  him. 

While  they  two  spoke  I  asked  Ranjoor  Singh 
whether  that  truly  had  been  a  British  submarine,  ai^d 
he  nodded;  but  he  was  not  able  to  tell  me  whether 
or  not  it  had  been  hit  by  gun-fire.  Some  of  the  men 
overheard,  and  although  we  all  knew  that  our  course 
to  Gallipoli  would  be  the  more  hazardous  in  that 
event  we  all  prayed  that  the  artillery  might  have 
missed.  Fear  comes  and  goes,  but  a  man's  love  lives 
in  him. 

When  the  Turkish  captain  and  the  German  officer 
finished  speaking,  the  Turk  went  back  to  his  steamer 
without  any  apparent  pleasure,  and  we  were  marched 
up  the  gangway  after  him.  It  was  pitch-dark  by  that 
time  and  the  only  light  was  that  of  a  lantern  by  which 
the  German  officer  stood,  eying  us  one  by  one  as  we 
passed.  Tugendheim  came  last,  and  he  talked  with 
Tugendheim  for  several  minutes.  Then  he  went 
away,  but  presently  returned  with,  I  should  say,  half 
a  company  of  Kurdish  soldiers,  whom  he  posted  all 
about  the  dock.     Then  he  departed  finally,  with  a 


122  HIRA  SINGH 

wave  of  his  cigar,  as  much  as  to  say  that  sheet  of  the 
ledger  had  been  balanced. 

It  was  a  miserable  steamer,  sahib.  We  stood 
about  on  iron  decks  and  grew  hungry.  There  were 
no  awnings — ^nothing  but  the  superstructure  of  the 
bridge,  and,  although  there  were  but  two-hundred- 
and-thirty-four  of  us,  including  Tugendheim,  we  could 
not  stow  ourselves  so  that  all  could  be  sheltered  from 
the  rain  and  let  the  mud  cake  dry  on  our  legs  and 
feet.  There  was  a  little  cabin  that  Tugendheim  took 
for  himself,  but  Ranjoor  Singh  remained  with  us  on 
deck.  He  stood  in  the  rain  by  the  gangway,  looking 
first  at  one  thing,  then  at  another^    L  watched  him. 

Presently  he  went  to  the  door  of  the  engine-room, 
opened  it,  and  looked  through.  1  was  about  to  look, 
too,  but  he  shut  it  in  my  face. 

"It  is  enough  that  they  make  steam,"  said  he ;  and 
I  looked  up  at  the  funnel  and  saw  steam  mingled  with 
the  smoke.  In  a  little  wheel-house  on  the  bridge  the 
Turkish  captain  sat  on  a  shelf,  wrapped  in  his  shawl, 
smoking  a  great  pipe,  and  his  mate,  who  was  also  a 
Turk,  sat  beside  him  staring  at  the  sky.  I  asked 
Ranjoor  Singh  whether  we  might  expect  to  have  the 
whole  ship  to  ourselves.  Said  I,  "It  would  not  be 
difficult  to  overpower  those  two  Turks  and  their  small 
crew  and  make  them  do  our  bidding!"  But  he 
answered  that  a  regiment  of  Kurds  was  expected  to 
keep  us  company  at  dawn.  Then  he  went  up  to  the 
bridge  to  have  word  with  the  Turkish  captain,  and 
I  went  to  the  ship's  side  to  stare  about.  Over  my 
shoulder  I  told  the  men  about  the  Kurds  who  were 
coming,  and  they  were  not  pleased. 

Peering  into  the  dark  and  wondering  that  so  greaiE 


HIRA  SINGH  123 

a  city  as  Stamboul  should  show  so  few  lights,  I  ob- 
served the  Kurdish  sentinels  posted  about  the  dock. 

"Those  are  to  prevent  us  from  going  ashore  until 
their  friends  come!"  said  I,  and  they  snarled  at  me 
like  angry  wolves. 

"We  could  easily  rush  ashore  and  bayonet  every 
one  of  them!"  said  Gooja  Singh. 

But  not  a  man  would  have  gone  ashore  again  for 
a  commission  in  the  German  army.  Gallipoli  was 
written  in  their  hearts.  Yet  I  could  think  of  a  hun- 
dred thousand  chances  still  that  might  prevent  our 
joining  our  friends  the  British  in  Gallipoli.  Nor  was 
I  sure  in  my  own  mind  that  Ranjoor  Singh  intended  we 
should  try.  I  was  sure  only  of  his  good  faith,  and  con- 
tent to  wait  developments. 

Though  the  lights  of  the  city  were  few  and  very 
far  between,  so  many  search-lights  played  back  and 
forth  above  the  water  that  there  seemed  a  hundred 
of  them.  I  judged  it  impossible  for  the  smallest  boat 
to  pass  unseen  and  I  wondered  whether  it  was  diffi- 
cult or  easy  to  shoot  with  great  guns  by  aid  of  search- 
lights, remembering  what  strange  tricks  light  can 
play  with  a  gunner's  eyes.  Mist,  too,  kept  rising 
off  the  water  to  add  confusion. 

While  I  reflected  in  that  manner,  thinking  that 
the  shadow  of  every  wave  and  the  side  of  every  boat 
might  be  a  submarine,  Ranjoor  Singh  came  down 
from  the  bridge  and  stood  beside  me. 

"I  have  seen  what  I  have  seen!"  said  he.  "Lis- 
ten!    Obey!     And  give  me  no  back  answers!" 

"Sahib,"  said  I,  "I  am  thy  man!"  But  he  ian- 
swered  nothing  to  that. 

"Pick  the  four  most  dependable  men,"  he  said. 


124  HIRA  SINGH 

"and  bid  them  enter  that  cabin  and  gag  and  bind 
Tugendheim.  Bid  them  make  no  noise  and  see  to  it 
that  he  makes  none,  but  let  them  do  him  no  injury, 
for  we  shall  need  him  presently!  When  that  is  done, 
come  back  to  me  here !" 

So  I  left  him  at  once,  he  standing  as  I  had  done^ 
staring  at  the  water,  although  I  thought  perhaps 
there  was  more  purpose  in  his  gaze  than  there  had 
been  in  mine. 

I  chose  four  men  and  led  them  aside,  they  greatly 
wondering. 

"There  is  work  to  be  done,"  said  I,  "that  calls  for 
true  ones!" 

"Such  men  be  we !"  said  all  four  together. 

"That  is  why  I  picked  you  from  among  the  rest!" 
said  I,  and  they  were  well  pleased  at  that.  Then  I 
gave  them  their  orders. 

"Who  bids  us  do  this?"  they  demanded. 

"I !"  said  I.  "Bind  and  gag  Tugendheim,  and  we 
have  Ranjoor  Singh  committed.  He  gave  the  order, 
and  I  bid  you  obey  it!  How  can  he  be  false  to  us 
and  true  to  the  Germans,  with  a  gagged  German 
prisoner  on  his  hands?" 

They  saw  the  point  of  that.  "But  what  if  we  are 
discovered  too  soon?"  said  they. 

"What  if  we  are  sunk  before  dawn  by  a  British 
submarine!"  said  I.  "We  will  swim  when  we  find 
ourselves  in  water!  For  the  present,  bind  and  gag 
Tugendheim !" 

So  they  went  and  stalked  Tugendheim,  the  Ger- 
man, who  had  been  drinking  from  a  little  pocket 
flask.     He  was  drowsing  in  a  chair  in  the  cabin,  with 


HIRA  SINGH  125 

his  hands  deep  down  in  his  overcoat  pockets  and  his 
helmet  over  his  eyes.  Within  three  minutes  I  was 
back  at  Ranjoor  Singh's  side. 

"The  four  stand  guard  over  him  !'*  said  I. 

"Very  good!"  said  he.  "That  was  well  done! 
Now  do  a  greater  thing." 

My  heart  burned,  sahib,  for  I  had  once  dared 
doubt  him,  yet  all  he  had  to  say  to  me  was,  "Well 
done!  Now  do  a  greater  thing!"  If  he  had  cursed 
me  a  little  for  my  earlier  unbelief  I  might  have  felt 
less  ashamed! 

"Go  to  the  men,"  said  he,  "and  bid  those  who 
wish  the  British  well  to  put  all  the  money  they  re- 
ceived this  morning  into  a  cloth.  Bid  those  who  are 
no  longer  true  to  the  British  to  keep  their  money. 
When  the  money  is  all  in  the  cloth,  bring  it  here  to 
me." 

"But  what  if  they  refuse?"  said  I. 

"Do  you  refuse?"  he  asked. 

"Nay!"  said  I.     "Nay,  sahib!" 

"Then  why  judge  them?"  said  he.     So  I  went. 

Can  the  sahib  imagine  it?  Two-hundred-and- 
three-and-thirty  men,  including  non-commissioned 
officers,  wet  and  muddy  in  the  dark,  beginning  to  be 
hungry,  all  asked  at  once  to  hand  over  all  their  pay 
if  they  be  true  men,  but  told  to  keep  it  if  they  be 
traitors ! 

No  man  answered  a  word,  although  their  eyes 
burned  up  the  darkness.  I  called  for  a  lantern,  and 
a  man  brought  one  from  the  engine-room  door.  By 
its  light  I  spread  out  a  cloth,  and  laid  all  my  money 
on  it  on  the  deck.    The  sergeant  nearest  me  followed 


126  HIRA  SINGH 

my  example.  Gooja  Singh  laid  down  only  half  his 
money. 

"Nay !"  said  I.  "All  or  none !  This  is  a  test  for 
true  men!  Half -true  and  false  be  one  and  the  same 
to-night !"  So  Gooja  Singh  made  a  wry  face  and  laid 
down  the  rest  of  his  money,  and  the  others  all  fol- 
lowed him,  not  at  all  understanding,  as  indeed  I 
myself  did  not  understand,  but  coming  one  at  a  time 
to  me  and  laying  all  their  money  on  the  cloth.  When 
the  last  man  had  done  I  tied  the  four  corners  of  the 
cloth  together  (it  was  all  wet  with  the  rain  and  slush 
on  deck,  and  heavy  with  the  weight  of  coin)  and 
carried  it  to  Ranjoor  Singh.  (I  forgot  the  four  who 
stood  guard  over  Tugendheim;  they  kept  their 
money.) 

"We  are  all  true  men!"  said  I,  dumping  it  beside 
him. 

"Good!"  said  he.  "Come!"  And  he  took  the 
bundle  of  money  and  ascended  the  bridge  ladder, 
bidding  me  wait  at  the  foot  of  it  for  further  orders. 
I  stood  there  two  hours  without  another  sign  of  him, 
although  I  heard  voices  in  the  wheel-house. 

Now  the  men  grew  restless.  Reflection  without 
action  made  them  begin  to  doubt  the  wisdom  of  sur- 
rendering all  their  money  at  a  word.  They  began 
to  want  to  know  the  why  and  wherefore  of  the  busi- 
ness, and  I  was  unable  to  tell  them. 

"Wait  and  see!"  said  I,  but  that  only  exasperated 
them,  and  some  began  to  raise  their  voices  in  anger. 
So  I  felt  urged  to  invent  a  reason,  hoping  to  explain 
it  away  afterward  should  I  be  wrong.  But  as  it 
turned  out  I  guessed  at  least  a  little  part  of  Ranjoor 


HIRA  SINGH  127 

Singh^s  great  plan  and  so  achieved  great  credit  that 
was  useful  later,  although  at  the  time  I  felt  myself 
losing  favor  with  them. 

"Ranjoor  Singh  will  bribe  the  captain  of  the  ship 
to  steam  away  before  that  regiment  of  Kurds  can 
come  on  board,"  said  I.  "So  we  shall  have  the  ship 
at  our  mercy,  provided  we  make  no  mistakes." 

That  did  not  satisfy  them,  but  it  gave  them  some- 
thing new  to  think  about,  and  they  settled  down  to 
wait  in  silence,  as  many  as  could  crowding  their 
backs  against  the  deck-house  and  the  rest  suffering 
in  the  rain.  I  would  rather  have  heard  them  whisper- 
ing, because  I  judged  the  silence  to  be  due  to  low 
spirits.  I  knew  of  nothing  more  to  say  to  encourage 
them,  and  after  a  time  their  depression  began  to 
aflPect  me  also.  Rather  than  watch  them,  I  watched 
the  water,  and  more  than  once  I  saw  something  I 
did  not  recognize,  that  nevertheless  caused  my  skin 
to  tingle  and  my  breath  to  come  in  jerks.  Sikh  eyes 
are  keen. 

It  was  perhaps  two  hours  before  midnight  when 
the  long  spell  of  firing  along  the  water-front  began 
and  I  knew  that  my  eyes  and  the  dark  had  not  de- 
ceived me.  All  the  search-lights  suddenly  swept  to- 
gether to  one  point  and  shone  on  the  top-side  of  a 
submarine — or  at  least  on  the  water  thrown  up  by 
its  top-side.  Only  two  masts  and  a  thing  like  a  tower 
were  visible,  and  the  plunging  shells  threw  water  over 
those  obscuring  them  every  second.  There  was  a 
great  explosion,  whether  before  or  after  the  begin- 
ning of  the  gun-fire  I  do  not  remember,  and  a  ship 
anchored  out  on  the  water  no  great  distance  from 


128  HIRA  SINGH 

us  heeled  over  and  began  to  sink.  One  search-liglit 
was  turned  on  the  sinking  ship,  so  that  I  could  see 
hundreds  of  men  on  her  running  to  and  fro  and  jump- 
ing ;  but  all  the  rest  of  the  water  was  now  left  in  dark- 
ness. 

The  guards  who  had  been  set  to  prevent  our  land- 
ing all  ran  to  another  wharf  to  watch  the  gun-fire 
and  the  sinking  ship,  and  it  was  at  the  moment  when 
their  backs  were  turned  that  two  Turkish  seamen 
came  down  from  the  bridge  and  loosed  the  ropes  that 
held  us  to  the  shore.  Then  our  ship  began  to  move 
out  slowly  into  the  darkness  v.dthout  showing  lights 
or  sounding  whistle.  There  was  still  no  sign  of  Ran- 
joor  Singh,  nor  had  I  time  to  look  for  him;  I  was 
busy  making  the  men  be  still,  urging,  coaxing,  curs- 
ing— even  striking  them. 

"Are  we  of¥  to  Gallipoli  ?"  they  asked. 

"We  are  off  to  where  a  true  man  may  remember 
the  salt !"  said  I,  knowing  no  more  than  they. 

I  know  of  nothing  more  confusing  to  a  landsman, 
sahib,  than  a  crowded  harbor  at  night.  The  many 
search-lights  all  quivering  and  shifting  in  the  one 
direction  only  made  confusion  worse  and  we  had  not 
been  moving  two  minutes  when  I  no  longer  knew 
north  from  south  or  east  from  west.  I  looked  up, 
to  try  to  judge  by  the  stars.  I  had  actually  forgot- 
ten it  was  raining-  The  rain  came  down  in  sheets 
and  overhead  the  sky  began  at  little  more  than  arm*s 
length !    Judge,  then,  my  excitement. 

We  passed  very  close  to  several  small  steamers 
that  may  have  been  war-ships,  but  I  think  they  were 
merchant  ships  converted  into  gunboats  to  hunt  sub- 


HIRA  SINGH  129 

marines.  I  think,  too,  that  in  the  darkness  they  mis- 
took us  for  another  of  the  same  sort,  for,  although 
we  almost  collided  with  two  of  them,  they  neither 
fired  on  us  nor  challenged.  We  steamed  straight  past 
them,  beginning  to  g3'«i  speed  as  the  last  one  fell 
away  behind. 

Does  the  sahib  remember  whether  the  passage 
from  Stamboul  into  the  Sea  of  Marmora  runs  south 
or  east  or  west  ?  Neither  could  I  remember,  although 
at  another  time  I  could  have  drawn  a  map  of  it,  hav- 
ing studied  such  things.  But  memory  plays  us 
strange  tricks,  and  cavalrymen  were  never  intended 
to  maneuver  in  a  ship!  Ranjoor  Singh,  up  in  the 
wheel-house,  had  a  map — sl  good  map,  that  he  had 
stolen  from  the  German  officers — but  I  did  not  know 
that  until  later.  I  stood  with  both  hands  holding  the 
rails  of  the  bridge  ladder  wondering  whether  gun- 
fire or  submarine  would  sink  us  and  urging  the  men 
to  keep  their  heads  below  the  bulwark  lest  a  search- 
light find  us  and  the  number  of  heads  cause  sus- 
picion. 

I  have  often  tried  to  remember  just  how  many 
hours  we  steamed  from  Stamboul,  yet  I  have  no  idea 
to  this  day  beyond  that  the  voyage  was  ended  before 
dawn.  It  was  all  unexpected — we  were  too  excited, 
and  too  fearful  for  our  skins  to  recall  the  passage 
of  hours.  It  was  darker  than  I  have  ever  known 
night  to  be,  and  the  short  waves  that  made  our  ship 
pitch  unevenly  were  growing  steeper  every  minute, 
when  Ranjoor  Singh  came  at  last  to  the  head  of  the 
ladder  and  shouted  for  me.  I  went  to  him  up  the 
steps,  holding  to  each  rail  for  dear  life. 


130  HIRA  SINGH 

"Take  twenty  men,"  he  ordered,  "and  uncover 
the  forward  hatch.  Throw  the  hatch  coverings  over- 
board. The  hold  is  full  of  cartridges.  Bring  up 
some  boxes  and  break  them  open.  Distribute  two 
hundred  rounds  to  every  man,  and  throw  the  empty 
boxes  overboard.  Then  get  up  twenty  more  boxes 
and  place  them  close  together,  in  readiness  to  take 
with  us  when  we  leave  the  ship.  Let  me  know  when 
that  is  all  done." 

So  I  took  twenty  men  and  we  obeyed  him.  Two 
hundred  rounds  of  cartridges  a  man  made  a  heavy 
extra  load  and  the  troopers  grumbled. 

"Can  we  swim  with  these?"  they  demanded. 

"Who  knows  until  he  has  tried?"  said  I. 

"How  far  may  we  have  to  march  with  such  an 
extra  weight?"  said  they. 

"Who  knows!"  said  I,  counting  out  two  hundred 
more  to  another  man.  "But  the  man,"  I  said,  "who 
lacks  one  cartridge  of  the  full  count  when  I  come  to 
inspect  shall  be  put  to  the  test  whether  he  can  swim 
at  all!" 

Some  of  them  had  begun  to  throw  half  of  their 
two  hundred  into  the  water,  but  after  I  said  that 
they  discontinued,  and  I  noticed  that  those  who  had 
so  done  came  back  for  more  cartridges,  pretending 
that  my  count  had  been  short.  So  I  served  them  out 
more  and  said  nothing.  There  were  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  rounds  in  the  hold  of  the  ship,  and  I 
judged  we  could  afford  to  overlook  the  waste. 

At  last  we  set  the  extra  twenty  boxes  in  one  place 
together,  slipping  and  falling  in  the  process  because 
the  deck  was  wet  and  the  ship  unsteady;  and  then  I 
went  and  reported  to  Ranjoor  Singh. 


HIRA  SINGH  131 

"Very  good,"  said  he.  "Make  the  men  fall  in 
along  the  deck,  and  bid  them  be  ready  for  whatever 
may  befall!" 

"Are  we  near  land,  sahib?"  said  I. 

"Very  near!"  said  he. 

I  ran  to  obey  him,  peering  into  the  blackness  to 
discover  land,  but  I  could  see  nothing  more  than  the 
white  tops  of  waves,  and  clouds  that  seemed  to  meet 
the  sea  within  a  rope's  length  of  us.  Once  or  twice 
I  thought  I  heard  surf,  but  the  noise  of  the  rain  and 
of  the  engines  and  of  the  waves  pounding  against 
the  ship  confused  my  ears,  so  that  I  could  not  be 
certain. 

When  the  men  were  all  fallen  in  I  went  and 
leaned  over  the  bulwark  to  try  to  see  better;  and  as 
I  did  that  we  ran  in  under  a  cliff,  for  the  darkness 
grew  suddenly  much  darker.  Then  I  surely  heard 
surf.  Then  another  sound  startled  me,  and  a  shock 
nearly  threw  me  off  my  feet.  I  faced  about,  to  find 
twenty  or  thirty  men  sprawling  their  length  upon  the 
deck,  and  when  I  had  urged  and  helped  them  up  the 
engines  had  stopped  turning,  and  steam  was  roaring 
savagely  through  the  funnel.  The  motion  of  the  ship 
was  different  now ;  the  front  part  seemed  almost  still, 
but  the  behind  part  rose  and  fell  jerkily. 

I  busied  myself  with  the  men,  bullying  them  into 
silence,  for  I  judged  it  most  important  to  be  able  to 
hear  the  first  order  that  Ranjoor  Singh  might  give; 
but  he  gave  none  just  yet,  although  I  heard  a  lot  of 
talking  on  the  bridge. 

"Is  this  Gallipoli?"  the  men  kept  asking  me  in 
whispers. 

"If  it  were,"  said  I,  "we  should  have  been  blown  to 


132  HIRA  SINGH 

little  pieces  by  the  guns  of  both  sides  before  now!" 
If  I  had  been  offered  all  the  world  for  a  reward  I 
could  not  have  guessed  our  whereabouts,  nor  what 
we  were  likely  to  do  next,  but  I  was  very  sure  we 
■fiad  not  reached  Gallipoli. 

Presently  the  Turkish  seamen  began  lowering  the 
boats.  There  were  but  four  boats,  and  they  made 
clumsy  work  of  it,  but  at  last  all  four  boats  were  in 
the  water;  and  then  Ranjoor  Singh  began  at  last  to 
give  his  orders,  in  a  voice  and  with  an  air  that 
brought  reassurance.  No  man  could  command  as 
he  did  who  had  the  least  little  doubt  in  his  heart  of 
eventual  success.  There  is  even  more  conviction  in 
a  true  man's  voice  than  in  his  eye. 

He  ordered  us  overside  eight  at  a  time,  and  me 
in  the  first  boat  with  the  first  eight. 

"Fall  them  in  along  the  first  flat  place  you  find  on 
shore,  and  wait  there  for  me!"  said  he.  And  I  said, 
"Ha,  sahib!"  wondering  as  I  swung  myself  down  a 
swaying  rope  whether  my  feet  could  ever  find  the 
boat.  But  the  sailors  pulled  the  rope's  lower  end, 
and  I  found  myself  in  a  moment  wedged  into  a  space 
into  which  not  one  more  man  could  have  been 
crowded. 

The  waves  broke  over  us,  and  there  was  a  very 
evil  surf,  but  the  distance  to  the  shore  was  short  and 
the  sailors  proved  skilful.  We  landed  safely  on  a 
gravelly  beach,  not  so  very  much  wetter  than  we  had 
been,  except  for  our  legs  (for  we  waded  the  last 
few  yards),  and  I  hunted  at  once  for  a  piece  of  level 
ground.  Just  thereabouts  it  was  all  nearly  level,  so 
I  fell  my  eight  men  in  within  twenty  yards  of  the 


HIRA  SINGH  133 

surf,  and  waited.  I  felt  tempted  to  throw  out  pick- 
ets, yet  afraid  not  to  obey  implicitly.  Ranjoor  Singh 
had  given  no  order  about  pickets. 

I  judge  it  took  more  than  an  hour,  and  it  may 
have  been  two  hours,  to  bring  all  the  men  and  the 
twenty  boxes  of  cartridges  ashore.  At  last  in  three 
boats  came  the  captain  of  the  ship,  and  the  mate,  and 
the  engineer,  and  nearly  all  the  crew.  Then  I  grew 
suddenly  afraid  and  hot  sweat  burst  out  all  over  me, 
for  by  the  one  lantern  that  had  been  hung  from  the 
ship's  bridge  rail  to  guide  the  rowers  I  could  see  that 
the  ship  was  moving!  The  ship's  captain  had  climbed 
out  of  the  last  boat  and  was  standing  close  to  it.  I 
went  up  to  him  and  seized  his  shoulder. 

"What  dog's  work  is  this?"  said  I.  "Speak!"  I 
said,  shaking  him,  although  he  could  not  talk  any 
tongue  that  I  knew — ^but  I  shook  him  none-the-less 
until  his  teeth  chattered,  and,  his  arms  being  wrapped 
in  that  great  shawl  of  his,  there  was  little  he  could 
do  to  prevent  me. 

As  I  live,  sahib,  on  the  word  of  a  Sikh  I  swear 
that  not  even  in  that  instant  did  I  doubt  Ranjoor 
Singh.  I  believed  that  the  Turkish  captain  might 
have  stabbed  him,  or  that  Tugendheim  might  have 
played  some  trick.  But  not  so  the  men.  They  saw 
the  lantern  receding  and  receding,  dancing  with  the 
motion  of  the  ship,  and  they  believed  themselves 
deserted. 

"Quick!  Fire  on  him!"  shouted  some  one.  "Let 
him  not  escape!    Kill  him  before  he  is  out  of  range!" 

I  never  knew  which  trooper  it  was  who  raised 
that  cry,  although  I  went  to  some  trouble  to  discover 


134  HIRA  SINGH 

afterward.  But  I  heard  Gooja  Singh  laugh  like  a 
hyena;  and  I  heard  the  click  of  cartridges  being 
thrust  into  magazines.  I  was  half  minded  to  let  them 
shoot,  hoping  they  might  hit  Tugendheim.  But  the 
Turk  freed  his  arms  at  last,  and  began  struggling. 

"Look!"  he  said  to  me  in  English.  ''Voild!"  said 
he  in  French.    ^'Regardez!    Look — seel" 

I  did  look,  and  I  saw  enough  to  make  me  make 
swift  decision.  The  light  was  nearer  to  the  water — 
quite  a  lot  nearer.  I  flung  myself  on  the  nearest 
trooper,  whose  rifle  was  already  raised,  and  taken  by 
surprise  he  loosed  his  weapon.  With  it  I  beat  the 
next  ten  men's  rifles  down,  and  they  clattered  on  the 
beach.    That  made  the  others  pause  and  look  at  me. 

"The  man  who  fires  the  first  shot  dies!"  said  I, 
striving  to  make  the  breath  come  evenly  between  my 
teeth  for  sake  of  dignity,  yet  with  none  too  great  suc- 
cess. But  in  the  principal  matter  I  was  successful, 
for  they  left  their  alignment  and  clustered  round  to 
argue  with  me.  At  that  I  refused  to  have  speech  with 
them  until  they  should  have  fallen  in  again,  as  be- 
fitted soldiers.  Falling  in  took  time,  especially  as 
they  did  it  sulkily;  and  when  the  noise  of  shifting 
feet  was  finished  I  heard  oars  thumping  in  the  oar- 
locks. 

A  boat  grounded  amid  the  surf,  and  Ranjoor 
Singh  jumped  out  of  it,  followed  by  Tugendheim  and 
his  four  guards.  The  boat's  crew  leaped  into  the 
water  and  hauled  the  boat  high  and  dry,  and  as  they 
did  that  I  saw  the  ship's  lantern  disappear  altogether. 

Ranjoor  Singh  went  straight  to  the  Turkish  cap- 
tain.    "Your  money,"  said  he,  speaking  in  English 


HIRA  SINGH  135 

slowly — I  wonder,  sahib,  oh,  I  have  wondered  a  thou- 
sand times  in  what  medley  of  tongues  strange  to  all 
of  them  they  had  done  their  bargaining! — ^'^Your 
money,"  said  he,  "is  in  the  boat  in  which  I  came. 
Take  it,  and  take  your  men,  and  go !" 

The  captain  and  his  crew  said  nothing,  but  got 
into  the  boats  and  pushed  away.  One  of  the  boats  was 
overturned  in  the  surf,  and  there  they  left  it,  the 
sailors  scrambling  into  the  other  boats.  They  were 
out  of  sight  and  sound  in  two  minutes.  Then  Ran- 
joor  Singh  turned  to  me. 

"Send  and  gather  fire-wood !"  he  ordered. 

"Where  shall  dry  wood  be  in  all  this  rain  ?"  said  I. 

"Search!"  said  he. 

"Sahib,"  said  I,  "a  fire  would  only  betray  our 
whereabouts." 

"Are  you  deaf?"  said  he. 

"Nay!"  I  said. 

"Then  obey!"  said  he.  So  I  took  twenty  men, 
and  we  went  stumbling  through  rain  and  darkness, 
liunting  for  what  none  of  us  believed  was  anywhere. 
Tet  within  fifteen  minutes  we  found  a  hut  whose  roof 
was  intact,  and  therefore  whose  floor  and  inner  parts 
were  dry  enough.  It  was  a  little  hut,  of  the  length 
of  perhaps  the  height  of  four  men,  and  the  breadth  of 
the  height  of  three — a  man  and  a  half  high  from  floor 
to  roof -beam.  It  was  unoccupied,  but  there  was 
straw  at  one  end — dry  straw,  on  which  doubtless 
guards  had  slept.  I  left  the  men  standing  there  and 
went  and  told  Ranjoor  Singh. 

I  found  him  talking  to  the  lined  up  men  in  no 
gentle  manner.     As  I  drew  nearer  I  heard  him  say 


136  HIRA  SINGH 

the  word  "Wassmuss."  Then  I  heard  a  trooper  ask 
him,  ''Where  are  we  ?"  And  he  answered,  "Ye  stand 
on  Asia!"  That  was  the  first  intimation  I  received 
that  we  were  in  Asia,  and  I  felt  suddenly  lonely,  for 
Asia  is  wondrously  big,  sahib. 

Whatever  Ranjoor  Singh  had  been  saying  to  the 
men  he  had  them  back  under  his  thumb  for  the  time 
being;  for  when  I  told  him  of  my  discovery  of  the 
hut  he  called  them  to  attention,  turned  them  to  the 
right,  and  marched  them  off  as  obedient  as  a  machine, 
Tugendheim  following  like  a  man  in  a  dream  between 
his  four  guards  and  struggling  now  and  then  to  loose 
the  wet  thongs  that  were  beginning  to  cut  into  his 
wrists.  He  had  not  been  trussed  over-tenderly,  but 
I  noticed  that  Ranjoor  Singh  had  ordered  the  gag 
removed. 

The  hut  stood  alone,  clear  on  all  four  sides,  and 
after  he  had  looked  at  it,  Ranjoor  Singh  made  the 
men  line  up  facing  the  door,  with  himself  and  me  and 
Tugendheim  between  them  and  the  hut.  Presently 
he  pushed  Tugendheim  into  the  hut,  and  he  bade  me 
stand  in  the  door  to  watch  him. 

"Now  the  man  who  wishes  to  ask  questions  may," 
he  said  then,  and  there  was  a  long  silence,  for  I  sup- 
pose none  wished  to  be  accused  of  impudence  and 
perhaps  made  an  example  for  the  rest.  Besides,  they 
were  too  curious  to  know  what  his  next  intention 
might  be  to  care  to  offend  him.  So  I,  seeing  that  he 
wished  them  to  speak,  and  conceiving  that  to  be  part 
of  his  plan  for  establishing  good  feeling,  asked  the 
first  question — ^the  first  that  came  into  my  head. 

"What  shall  we  do  with  this  Tugendheim  ?"  said  L 


HIRA  SINGH  137 

"That  I  will  show  you  presently,"  said  he.  "Who 
else  has  a  question  to  ask?"  And  again  there  was 
silence,  save  for  the  rain  and  the  grinding  and  pound- 
ing on  the  beach. 

Then  Gooja  Singh  made  bold,  as  he  usually  did 
when  he  judged  the  risk  not  too  great.  He  was  be- 
hind the  men,  which  gave  him  greater  courage;  and 
it  suited  him  well  to  have  to  raise  his  voice,  because 
the  men  might  suppose  that  to  be  due  to  insolence, 
whereas  Ranjoor  Singh  must  ascribe  it  to  necessity. 
Well  I  knew  the  method  of  Gooja  Singh's  reasoning, 
and  I  knitted  my  fists  in  a  frenzy  of  fear  lest  he  say 
the  wrong  word  and  start  trouble.  Yet  I  need  not 
have  worried.  I  observed  that  Ranjoor  Singh  seemed 
not  disturbed  at  all,  and  he  knew  Gooja  Singh  as 
well  as  I. 

"It  seems  for  the  time  being  that  we  have  given 
the  slip  to  both  Turks  and  Germans,"  said  Gooja 
Singh ;  and  Ranjoor  Singh  said,  "Aye !  For  the  time 
being!" 

"And  we  truly  stand  on  Asia?"  he  asked. 

"Aye!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Then  why  did  we  not  put  those  Turks  ashore, 
and  steam  away  in  their  ship  toward  Gallipoli  to  join 
our  friends  ?"  said  he. 

"Partly  because  of  submarines,"  said  Ranjoor 
Singh,  "and  partly  because  of  gun-fire.  Partly  be- 
cause of  mines  floating  in  the  water,  and  partly  again 
from  lack  of  coal.  The  bunkers  were  about  empty. 
It  was  because  there  was  so  little  coal  that  the  Ger- 
mans trusted  us  alone  on  board." 

"Yet,  why  let  the  Turks  have  the  steamer?"  asked 


138  HIRA  SINGH 

Gooja  Singh,  bound,  now  that  he  was  started,  to  prove 
himself  in  the  right.  *They  will  float  about  until 
daylight  and  then  send  signals.  Then  will  come 
Turks  and  Germans!" 

"Nay!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "No  so,  for  I  sank 
the  steamer!    I  myself  let  the  sea  into  her  hold!" 

Gooja  Singh  was  silent  for  about  a  minute,  and 
although  it  was  dark  and  I  could  not  see  him  I  knew 
exactly  the  expression  of  his  face — ^wrinkled  thus,  and 
with  the  lower  lip  thrust  out,  so ! 

"Any  more  questions?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh,  and 
by  that  time  Gooja  Singh  had  thought  again.  This 
time  he  seemed  to  think  he  had  an  unanswerable  one, 
for  his  voice  was  full  of  insolence. 

"Then  how  comes  it,"  said  he,  "that  you  turned 
those  Turks  loose  in  their  small  boats  when  we  might 
have  kept  them  with  us  for  hostages  ?  Now  they  will 
row  to  the  land  and  set  their  masters  on  our  tracks! 
Within  an  hour  or  two  we  shall  all  be  prisoners  again ! 
Tell  us  why!" 

"For  one  thing,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  without  any 
resentment  in  his  voice  that  I  could  detect  (although 
that  was  no  sign!),  "I  had  to  make  some  sort  of  bar- 
gain with  them,  and  having  made  it  I  must  keep  it. 
The  money  with  which  I  bribed  the  captain  and  his 
mate  would  have  been  of  little  use  to  them  unless  I 
allowed  them  life  and  liberty  as  well." 

"But  they  will  give  the  alarm  and  cause  us  to  be 
followed!"  shouted  Gooja  Singh,  his  voice  rising 
louder  with  each  word. 

"Nay,  I  think  not!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  as  calmly 
as  ever.    "In  the  first  place,  I  have  a  written  receipt 


HIRA  SINGH  139 

from  captain  and  mate  for  our  money,  stating  the 
reason  for  which  it  was  paid ;  if  we  were  made  prison- 
ers again,  that  paper  would  be  found  in  my  possession 
and  it  might  go  ill  with  those  Turks.  In  the  second 
place,  they  will  wish  to  save  their  faces.  In  the  third 
place,  they  must  explain  the  loss  of  their  steamer.  So 
they  will  say  the  steamer  was  sunk  by  a  submarine, 
and  that  they  got  away  in  the  boats  and  watched  us 
drown.  The  crew  will  bear  out  what  the  captain  and 
the  mate  say,  partly  from  fear,  partly  because  that 
is  the  custom  of  the  country,  but  chiefly  because  they 
will  receive  a  small  share  of  the  bribe.  Let  us  hope 
they  get  back  safely — for  their  story  will  prevent  pur- 
suit!" 

For  about  two  minutes  again  there  was  silence,  and 
then  Gooja  Singh  called  out:  "Why  did  you  not 
make  them  take  us  to  Gallipoli  ?'* 

"There  was  not  enough  coal !"  said  I,  but  Ranjoor 
Singh  made  a  gesture  to  me  of  impatience. 

"The  Germans  wished  us  to  go  to  Gallipoli,"  said 
he,  "and  I  have  noticed  that  whatever  they  may  desire 
is  expressly  intended  for  their  advantage  and  not  ours. 
In  Gallipoli  they  would  have  kept  us  out  of  range  at 
the  rear,  and  presently  they  would  have  caused  a  pic- 
ture of  us  to  be  taken  serving  among  the  Turkish 
army.  That  they  would  have  published  broadcast. 
After  that  I  have  no  idea  what  would  have  happened 
to  us, -except  that  I  am  sure  we  should  never  have 
got  near  enough  to  the  British  lines  to  make  good  our 
escape.     We  must  find  another  way  than  that!'* 

"We  might  have  made  the  attempt!"  said  Gooja 
Singh,  and  a  dozen  men  murmured  approval. 


140  HIRA  SINGH 

"Simpletons!"  came  the  answer.  "The  Germans 
laid  their  plans  for  the  first  for  photographs  to  lend 
color  to  lies  about  the  Sikh  troops  fighting  for  them! 
ye  would  have  played  into  their  hands  l" 

"What  then?"  said  I,  after  a  minute,  for  at  that 
answer  they  had  all  grown  dumb. 

"What  then?"  said  he.  "Why,  this:  We  are  in 
Asia,  but  still  on  Turkish  soil.  We  need  food.  We 
shall  need  shelter  before  many  hours.  And  we  need 
discipline,  to  aid  our  will  to  overcome!  Therefore 
there  never  was  a  regiment  more  fiercely  disciplined 
than  this  shall  be !  From  now  until  we  bring  up  in  a 
British  camp — and  God  knows  when  or  where  that 
may  happen! — ^the  man  who  as  much  as  thinks  of 
disobedience  plays  with  death !  Death — ^ye  be  as  good 
as  dead  men  now !"  said  he. 

He  shook  himself.  A  sense  of  loneliness  had  come 
on  me  since  he  told  us  we  were  in  Asia,  and  I  think 
the  men  felt  as  I  did.  There  had  been  nothing  to  eat 
on  the  steamer,  and  there  was  nothing  now.  Hunger 
and  cold  and  rain  were  doing  their  work.  But  Ran- 
joor  Singh  stood  and  shook  himself,  and  moved  slowly 
along  the  line  to  look  in  each  man's  face,  and  I  took 
new  courage  from  his  bearing.  If  I  could  have  known 
what  he  had  in  store  for  us,  I  would  have  leaped  and 
shouted.  Yet,  no,  sahib ;  that  is  not  true.  If  he  had 
told  me  what  was  coming,  I  would  never  have  be- 
lieved. Can  the  sahib  imagine,  for  instance,  what  was 
to  happen  next? 

"Ye  are  as  good  as  dead  men!"  he  said,  coming 
back  to  the  center  and  facing  all  the  men.  "Consider!" 
said  he.     "Our  ship  is  sunk  and  the  Turks,  to  save 


HIRA  SINGH  141 

their  own  skins,  will  swear  they  saw  us  drown.  Who, 
then,  will  come  and  hunt  for  dead  men  ?" 

I  could  see  the  eyes  of  the  nearest  men  opening 
wider  as  new  possibilities  began  to  dawn.  As  for  me 
— ^my  two  hands  shook. 

"And  we  have  with  us,"  said  he,  "a  hostage  who 
might  prove  useful — a,  hostage  who  might  prove 
amenable  to  reason.    Bring  out  the  prisoner !"  said  he. 

So  I  bade  Tugendheim  come  forth.  He  was  sit- 
ting on  the  straw  where  the  guards  had  pushed  him, 
still  working  sullenly  to  free  his  hands.  He  came 
and  peered  through  the  doorway  into  darkness,  and 
Ranjoor  Singh  stood  aside  to  let  the  men  see  him. 
They  can  not  have  seen  much,  for  it  was  now  that 
titter  gloom  that  precedes  dawn.  Nor  can  Tugend- 
heim have  seen  much. 

"Do  you  wish  to  live  or  die?"  asked  Ranjoor 
Singh,  and  the  German  gaped  at  him. 

"That  is  a  strange  question !"  he  said. 

"Is  it  strange,"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh,  "that  a 
■prisoner  should  be  asked  for  information?" 

"I  am  not  afraid  to  die,"  said  Tugendheim. 

"You  mean  by  rifle-fire?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh, 
and  Tugendheim  nodded. 

"But  there  are  other  kinds  of  fire,"  said  Ranjoor 
Singh. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Tugendheim. 

"Why,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "if  we  were  to  fire 
this  hut  to  warm  ourselves,  and  you  should  happen 
to  be  inside  it — what  then?" 

"If  you  intend  to  kill  me,"  said  Tugendheim,  "why 
not  be  merciful  and  shoot  me  ?"    His  voice  was  brave 


142  HIRA  SINGH 

enough,  but  it  seemed  to  me  I  detected  a  strain  of 
terror  in  it. 

"Few  Germans  are  afraid  to  be  shot  to  death," 
said  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"But  what  have  I  done  to  any  of  you  that  you 
should  want  to  bum  me  alive?*'  asked  Tugendheim; 
and  that  time  I  was  positive  his  voice  was  forced. 

"Haven't  you  been  told  by  your  officers,"  said 
Ranjoor  Singh,  "that  the  custom  of  us  Sikhs  is  to 
bum  all  our  prisoners  alive?" 

"Yes,"  said  Tugendheim.  "They  told  us  that.  But 
that  was  only  a  tale  to  encourage  the  first-year  men. 
Having  lived  in  India,  I  knew  better." 

"Did  you  trouble  yourself  to  tell  anybody  better?" 
asked  Ranjoor  Singh,  but  Tugendheim  did  not 
answer. 

"Then  can  you  give  me  any  reason  why  you  should 
not  be  burned  alive  here,  now?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Yes !"  said  Tugendheim.  "It  would  be  cruel.  It 
would  be  devil's  work!"  He  was  growing  very  im- 
easy,  although  trying  hard  not  to  show  it. 

"Then  give  me  a  name  for  the  tales  you  have  been 
party  to  against  us  Sikhs!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh;  but 
once  more  the  German  refrained  from  answering. 
The  men  were  growing  very  attentive,  breathing  all  in 
unison  and  careful  to  make  no  sound  to  disturb  the 
talking.  At  that  instant  a  great  burst  of  firing  broke 
out  over  the  water,  so  far  away  that  I  could  only  see 
one  or  two  flashes,  and,  although  that  was  none  too 
reassuring  to  us,  it  seemed  to  Tugendheim  like  his 
death  knell.  He  set  his  lips  and  drew  back  half  a 
step. 


HIRA  SINGH  143 

"Can  you  wish  to  live  with  the  shame  of  all  those 
lies  against  us  on  your  heart — ^you,  who  have  lived  in 
India  and  know  so  much  better?"  asked  Ranjoor 
Singh. 

"Of  course  I  wish  to  live !"  said  Tugendheim. 

"Have  you  any  price  to  offer  for  your  life  ?"  asked 
Ranjoor  Singh,  and  stepping  back  two  paces  he 
ordered  a  havildar  with  a  loud  voice  to  take  six  men 
and  hunt  for  dry  kindling.  "For  there  is  not  enough 
here,"  said  he. 

"Price?"  said  Tugendheim.  "I  have  a  handful  of 
coins,  and  my  uniform,  and  a  sword.  You  left  my 
baggage  on  the  steamer " 

"Nay!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "Your  baggage  came 
ashore  in  one  of  the  boats.  Where  is  it?  Who  has 
it?" 

A  man  stepped  forward  and  pointed  to  it,  lying  in 
the  shadow  of  the  hut  with  the  rain  from  the  roof 
dripping  down  on  it. 

"Who  brought  it  ashore?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"I,"  said  the  trooper. 

"Then,  for  leaving  it  there  in  the  rain,  you  shall 
carry  it  three  days  without  assistance  or  relief!"  said 
Ranjoor  Singh.  "Get  back  to  your  place  in  the 
ranks !"  And  the  man  got  back,  saying  nothing.  Ran- 
joor Singh  picked  up  the  baggage  and  tossed  it  past 
iTugendheim  into  the  hut. 

"That  is  all  I  have!"  said  Tugendheim. 

"If  you  decide  to  burn,  it  shall  burn  with  you," 
said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "and  that  trooper  shall  carry  a 
■good  big  stone  instead  to  teach  him  manners  I" 

*'Gott  in  Himmeir  exclaimed  Tugendheim,  losing 


144  HIRA  SINGH 

his  self-control  at  last.    "Can  I  offer  what  I  have  not 

gotr 

"Is  there  nothing  you  can  do?"  asked  Ranjoor 
Singh. 

"In  what  way  ?    How  ?"  asked  the  German. 

"In  the  way  of  making  amends  to  us  Sikhs  for  all 
those  lies  you  have  been  party  to,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 
"If  you  were  willing  to  offer  to  make  amends,  I  would 
listen  to  you." 

"I  will  do  anything  in  reason,"  said  Tugendheim, 
looking  him  full  in  the  eye  and  growing  more  at  ease. 

"I  am  a  reasonable  man,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Then,  speak!"  said  Tugendheim. 

"Nay,  nay!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "it  is  for  you  to 
make  proposals,  and  not  for  me.  It  is  not  I  who 
stand  waiting  to  be  burned  alive!  Let  me  make  you 
a  suggestion,  however.  What  had  we  Sikhs  to  offer 
when  we  were  prisoners  in  Germany?" 

"Oh,  I  see!"  said  Tugendheim.  "You  mean  you 
wish  me  to  join  you — to  be  one  of  you?" 

"I  mean,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "that  if  you  were 
to  apply  to  be  allowed  to  join  this  regiment  for  a 
while,  and  to  be  allowed  to  serve  us  in  a  certain  man- 
ner, we  would  consider  the  proposal.  Otherwise — is 
my  meaning  clear?" 

"Yes !"  said  Tugendheim. 

"Then ?"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"I  apply!"  said  Tugendheim;  and  at  that  moment 
the  havildar  and  his  men  returned  with  some  straw 
they  had  found  in  another  tumble-down  hut.  They 
had  it  stuffed  under  their  overcoats  to  keep  it  dry. 

"Too  late!"  said  Tugendheim  with  a  grimace,  but 


HIRA  SINGH  145 

Ranjoor  Singh  bade  them  throw  the  straw  inside  for 
all  that. 

"In  Germany  we  were  required  to  set  cur  names 
to  paper,"  he  said,  and  Tugendheim  looked  him  in  the 
eyes  again  for  a  full  half  minute.  "Do  you  expect 
better  conditions  than  were  offered  us?"  asked  Ran- 
joor Singh. 

"I  will  sign!"  said  Tugendheim. 

"What  will  you  sign?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Anything  in  reason,"  answered  Tugendheim. 

"Let  me  tell  you  what  I  have  here,  then,"  said 
Ranjoor  Singh,  and  he  groped  in  his  inner  pocket  for 
a  paper,  that  he  brought  out  very  neatly  folded,  shelter- 
ing it  from  the  rain  under  his  cape.  "This,"  said  he, 
"is  signed  by  the  Turkish  captain  and  mate  of  that 
sunken  steamer.  It  is  a  receipt  for  all  our  money,  to 
be  taken  and  divided  equally  between  you — ^mentioned 
by  name — and  them — mentioned  also  by  name,  on 
condition  that  the  ship  be  sunk  and  we  be  let  go.  If 
you  will  sign  the  paper — ^here— above  their  signatures 
— it  will  entitle  you  to  one-third  of  all  that  money. 
They  would  neither  of  them  dare  to  refuse  to  share 
with  you!" 

"What  if  I  refuse  to  sign?"  asked  Tugendheim, 
making  a  great  savage  wrench  to  free  his  wrists,  but 
failing. 

"The  suggestion  is  yours,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 
"You  have  only  your  own  judgment  for  a  guide." 

"If  I  sign  it,  will  you  let  me  go  ?"  he  asked. 

"No,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "but  we  will  not  bum 
you  alive  if  you  sign.  Here  is  a  fountain-pen.  Your 
hands  shall  be  loosed  when  you  are  ready." 


146  HIRA  SINGH 

Tugendheim  nodded,  so  I  went  and  cut  his  hands 
loose ;  and  when  I  had  chafed  his  wrists  for  a  minute 
or  two  he  was  able  to  write  on  my  shoulder,  I  bending 
forward  and  Ranjoor  Singh  watching  like  a  hawk 
lest  he  tear  the  paper.  But  he  made  no  eftort  to  play- 
tricks. 

When  Ranjoor  Singh  had  folded  the  paper  again 
he  said:  'Those  two  Turks  quite  understood  that 
you  were  to  be  asked  to  sign  as  well.  In  fact,  if  there 
is  any  mishap  they  intend  to  lay  all  the  blame  on  you. 
But  it  is  to  their  interest  as  much  as  yours  to  keep 
us  from  being  captured." 

"You  mean  I'm  to  help  you  escape  ?"  asked  Tugend- 
heim. 

"Exactly!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "Now  that  you 
have  signed  that,  I  am  willing  to  bargain  with  you. 
We  intend  to  find  Wassmuss." 

Tugendheim  pricked  up  his  ears  and  began  to  look 
almost  willing. 

"We  have  heard  of  this  Wassmuss,  and  have  taken 
quite  a  fancy  to  him.  Your  friends  proposed  to  send 
us  to  the  trenches,  but  we  have  already  had  too  much 
of  that  work  and  we  intend  to  find  Wassmuss  and 
take  part  with  him.  Let  your  business  be  to  obey  me 
implicitly  and  to  help  us  reach  Wassmuss,  and  on  the 
day  we  reach  our  goal  you  shall  go  free  with  this 
paper  given  back  to  you.  Disobey  me,  and  you  shall 
sample  unheard-of  methods  of  repentance!  Do  we 
understand  each  other?" 

"I  understand  you !"  said  Tugendheim. 

"I,  too,  wish  to  understand,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"It  is  a  bargain,"  said  Tugendheim.    But  I  noticed 


HIRA  SINGH  147 

they  did  not  shake  hands  after  European  fashion,  al- 
though I  think  Tugendheim  would  have  been  willing. 
He  was  a  hearty  man  in  his  way,  given  to  bullying,  but 
also  to  quick  f orgetf ulness ;  and  I  will  say  this  much 
for  him,  that  although  he  was  ever  on  the  lookout  for 
some  way  of  breaking  his  agreement,  he  kept  it  loyally 
enough  while  a  way  was  lacking.  I  have  met  men  I 
liked  less. 

It  was  growing  by  that  time  to  be  very  nearly 
dawn,  and  the  weather  did  not  improve.  The  rain 
came  down  in  squalls  and  sheets  and  the  wind 
screamed  through,  it,  and  we  were  famished  as  well  as 
wet  to  the  skin — all,  that  is  to  say,  except  Tugendheim, 
who  had  enjoyed  the  shelter  of  the  hut.  The  teeth  of 
many  of  the  men  were  chattering.  Yet  we  stood  about 
for  an  hour  more,  because  it  was  too  dark  and  too 
dangerous  to  march  over  unknown  ground.  I  suspect 
Ranjoor  Singh  did  not  dare  squander  what  little  spirit 
the  men  had  left ;  if  they  had  suspected  him  of  losing 
them  in  the  dark  they  might  have  lost  heart  altogether. 

But  at  last  there  grew  a  little  cold  color  in  the  sky 
and  the  sea  took  on  a  shade  of  gray.  Then  Ranjoor 
Singh  told  off  the  same  four  men  who  had  first  ar- 
rested him  to  guard  our  prisoner  by  day  and  night, 
taking  turns  to  pretend  to  be  his  servant,  with  orders 
to  give  instant  alarm  should  his  movements  seem  sus- 
picious. After  that  Tugendheim  was  searched,  but, 
nothing  of  interest  being  found  on  him,  his  money 
and  various  little  things  were  given  back. 

"Had  he  no  pistol?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "but  I  took  it  when  we  bound  and 
gagged  him  on  the  steamer."    And  I  drew  it  out  and 


148  HIRA  SINGH 

showed  it,  feeling  proud,  never  having  had  such  a 
weapon — for  the  law  of  British  India  is  strict. 

"Why  did  you  not  tell  me?"  he  asked,  and  I  was 
silent.  "Give  it  here !"  said  he,  and  I  gave  it  up.  He 
examined  it,  drew  out  the  cartridges,  and  passed  it  to 
Tugendheim,  who  pocketed  it  with  a  laugh.  It  was 
three  days  before  he  spoke  to  Tugendheim  and  caused 
him  to  give  me  the  pistol  back.  I  think  the  men  were 
impressed,  and  I  was  glad  of  it,  although  at  the  time 
I  felt  ashamed. 

Presently  Ranjoor  Singh  himself  chose  an  advance 
guard  of  twenty  men  and  put  me  in  command  of  it. 

"March  eastward,"  he  ordered  me.  "According  to 
my  map,  you  should  find  a  road  within  a  mile  or  two 
running  about  northeast  and  southwest;  turn  to  the 
left  along  it.  Halt  if  you  see  armed  men,  and  send 
back  word.  Keep  a  lookout  for  food,  for  the  men  are 
starving,  but  loot  nothing  without  my  order !  March !" 
said  he. 

"May  I  ask  a  question,  sahib,"  said  I,  still  linger- 
ing. 

"Ask,"  said  he. 

"Would  you  truly  have  burned  the  German  alive  ?" 
said  I,  and  he  laughed. 

"That  would  have  been  a  big  fire,"  said  he.  "Do 
you  think  none  would  have  come  to  investigate?" 

"That  is  what  I  was  thinking,"  said  I. 

"Do  such  thoughts  burn  your  brain  ?"  said  he.  "A 
threat  to  a  bully — ^to  a  fool,  folly — ^to  a  drunkard, 
drink — to  each,  his  own !    Be  going  now !" 

So  I  saluted  him  and  led  away,  wondering  in  my 
heart,  the  weather  growing  worse,  if  that  were  pos- 


HIRA  SINGH  149 

sible,  but  my  spirits  rising.  I  knew  now  that  my  back 
was  toward  Gallipoli,  where  the  nearest  British  were, 
yet  my  heart  felt  bold  with  love  for  Ranjoor  Singh 
and  I  did  not  doubt  we  would  strike  a  good  blow  yet 
for  our  friends,  although  I  had  no  least  idea  who  Wass- 
muss  was,  nor  whither  we  were  marching.  If  I  had 
known — eh,  but  listen,  sahib— this  is  a  tale  of  tales! 


CHAPTER  V 

//  a  man  stole  my  dinner,  I  might  let  him  run;  hut 
if  he  stole  my  horse,  he  and  I  and  death  would  play 
hide-and-seek! — Ranjoor  Singh. 

That  dawn,  sahib,  instead  of  lessening,  the  ram- 
storm  grew  into  a  deluge  that  saved  us  from  being 
seen.  As  I  led  my  twenty  men  forward  I  looked  back 
a  time  or  two,  and  once  I  could  dimly  see  steamers 
and  some  smaller  boats  tossing  on  the  sea.  Then  the 
fiercest  gust  of  rain  of  all  swept  by  like  a  curtain,  and 
it  was  as  if  Europe  had  been  shut  off  forever — so  that 
I  recalled  Gooja  Singh's  saying  on  the  transport  in 
the  Red  Sea,  about  a  curtain  being  drawn  and  our  not 
returning  that  way.  My  twenty  men  marched  numbly, 
some  seeming  half -asleep. 

By  and  by,  with  heels  sucking  in  the  mud,  we  came 
to  the  road  of  which  Ranjoor  Singh  had  spoken  and 
I  turned  along  it.  It  had  been  worn  into  ruts  and  holes 
by  heavy  traffic  and  now  the  rain  made  matters  worse, 
so  we  made  slow  progress.  But  before  long  I  was 
able  to  make  out  dimly  through  the  storm  what  looked 
like  a  railway  station.  There  was  a  line  of  telegraph 
poles,  and  where  it  crossed  our  road  there  were  build- 
ings enough  to  have  contained  two  regiments.  I  could 
see  no  sign  of  men,  but  in  that  light,  with  rain  swirl- 
ing hither  and  thither,  it  was  difficult  to  judge.  I 
halted,  and  sent  a  man  back  to  warn  Ranjoor  Singh. 

We  blew  on  our  fingers  and  stamped  to  keep  life 
150 


HIRA  SINGH  151 

in  ourselves,  until  at  the  end  of  ten  minutes  he  came 
striding  out  of  the  rain  like  a  king  on  his  way  to  be 
crowned.  My  twenty  were  already  speechless  with 
unhappiness  and  hunger,  but  he  had  instilled  some  of 
his  own  spirit  into  the  rest  of  the  regiment,  for  they 
marched  with  a  swing  in  good  order.  He  had  Tugend- 
heim  close  beside  him  and  had  inspired  him,  too.  It 
may  be  the  man  was  grinning  in  hope  of  our  capture 
within  an  hour,  and  in  that  case  he  was  doomed  to 
disappointment.  He  was  destined  also  to  see  the  day 
when  he  should  hope  for  our  escape.  But  from  sub- 
sequent acquaintance  with  him  I  think  he  was  appre- 
ciating the  risk  we  ran  and  Ranjoor  Singh's  great 
daring.  I  say  this  for  Tugendheim,  that  he  knew 
iand  respected  resolution  when  he  saw  it. 

When  I  had  pointed  out  what  I  could  see  of  the  lay 
of  the  land,  Ranjoor  Singh  left  me  in  charge  and 
marched  away  with  Tugendheim  and  Tugendheim's 
four  guards.  I  looked  about  for  shelter,  but  there  was 
none.  We  stood  shivering,  the  rain  making  pools  at 
our  feet  that  spread  and  became  one.  So  I  made  the 
men  mark  time  and  abused  them  roundly  for  being 
slack  about  it,  they  grumbling  greatly  because  our 
prisoner  was  marched  away  to  shelter,  whereas  we 
must  stand  without.  I  bullied  them  as  much  as  I 
dared,  and  we  stamped  the  road  into  a  veritable  quag- 
mire, as  builders  tread  mud  for  making  sun-dried 
bricks,  so  that  when  three-quarters  of  an  hour  had 
passed  and  a  man  came  running  back  with  a  message 
from  Ranjoor  Singh  there  was  a  little  warmth  in  us. 
I  did  not  need  to  use  force  to  get  the  column  started. 


152  HIRA  SINGH 

"Come!"  said  the  trooper.  "There  is  food,  and 
shelter,  and  who  knows  what  else!" 

So  we  went  best  foot  first  along  the  road,  feeling 
less  than  half  as  hungry  and  not  weak  at  all,  now 
that  we  knew  food  was  almost  within  reach.  Truly  a 
man's  desires  are  the  vainest  part  of  him.  Less  hun- 
gry we  were  at  once,  less  weary,  and  vastly  less  afraid ; 
yet,  too  much  in  a  hurry  to  ask  questions  of  the  mes- 
senger ! 

Ranjoor  Singh  came  out  of  a  building  to  meet  us, 
holding  up  his  hand,  so  I  made  the  men  halt  and  began 
to  look  about.  It  was  certainly  a  railway  station,  with 
a  long  platform,  and  part  of  the  platform  was  covered 
by  a  roof.  Parallel  to  that  was  a  great  shed  with 
closed  sides,  and  through  its  half-open  door  I  could 
smell  hay — a  very  good  smell,  sahib,  warming  to  the 
heart.  To  our  right,  across  what  might  be  called  a 
yard — ^thus — were  many  low  sheds,  and  in  one  there 
were  horses  feeding;  in  others  I  could  see  Turkish 
soldiers  sprawling  on  the  straw,  but  they  took  no  notice 
of  us.  Three  of  the  low  sheds  were  empty,  and  Ran- 
joor Singh  pointed  to  them. 

"Let  all  except  twenty  men,"  said  he,  "go  and  rest 
in  those  sheds.  If  any  one  asks  questions,  say  only 
'Allah!'  So  they  will  think  you  are  Muhammadans. 
If  that  should  not  seem  sufficient,  say  'Wassmuss!' 
But  unless  questioned  many  times,  say  nothing!  As 
you  value  your  lives,  say  nothing  more  than  those 
two  words  to  any  one  at  all !  Rather  be  thought  fools 
ihan  be  hanged  before  breakfast !" 

So  all  but  twenty  of  the  men  went  and  lay  down 
on  straw  in  the  three  empty  sheds,  and  I  took  the 


HIRA  SINGH  153 

twenty  and  followed  him  into  the  great  shed  with 
closed  sides.  Therein,  besides  many  other  things,  we 
beheld  great  baskets  filled  with  loaves  of  bread, — not 
very  good  bread,  nor  at  all  fresh,  but  staff  of  life  itself 
to  hungry  men.  He  bade  the  men  count  out  four 
loaves  for  each  and  every  one  of  us,  and  then  at  last, 
he  gave  me  a  little  information. 

"The  Germans  in  Stamboul,"  he  said,  "talked  too 
loud  of  this  place  in  my  hearing."  I  stood  gnawing 
a  loaf  already,  and  I  urged  him  to  take  one,  but  he 
would  eat  nothing  until  all  the  men  should  have  been 
fed.  "They  detrain  Dervish  troops  at  this  point," 
said  he,  "and  march  them  to  the  shore  to  be  shipped 
to  Gallipoli,  because  they  riot  and  make  trouble  if 
kept  in  barracks  in  Skutari  or  Stamboul.  This  bread 
was  intended  for  two  train-loads  of  them." 

"Then  the  Dervishes  will  riot  after  all!"  said  I, 
and  he  laughed — a  thing  he  does  seldom. 

"The  sooner  the  better!"  said  he.  "A  riot  might 
cover  up  our  tracks  even  better  than  this  rain." 

"Is  there  no  officer  in  charge  here?"  I  asked  him. 

"Aye,  a  Turkish  officer,"  said  he.  "I  heard  the 
Germans  complain  about  his  inefficiency.  A  day  or 
two  later  and  we  might  have  found  a  German  in  his 
place.  He  mistakes  us  for  friends.  What  else  could 
we  be?"    And  he  laughed  again. 

"But  the  telegraph  wire?"  said  I. 

"Is  down,"  he  said,  "both  between  here  and  Skutari, 
and  between  here  and  Inismid.  God  sent  this  storm 
to  favor  us,  and  we  will  praise  God  by  making  use 
of  it." 

"Where  is  Tugendheim?"  said  I,  but  it  was  some 


154  HIRA  SINGH 

minutes  before  he  answered  me,  for,  since  the  loaves 
were  counted  he  went  to  see  them  distributed,  and  I 
followed  him. 

"Tugendheim,"  he  said  at  last,  "has  driven  the 
Turkish  officer  to  seek  refuge  in  seclusion !  I  used  the 
word  'Wassmuss,'  and  that  had  effect;  but  Tugend- 
heim's  insolence  was  our  real  passport.  Nobody  here 
doubts  that  we  are  in  full  favor  at  Stamboul.  Wass- 
muss  can  keep  for  later  on." 

"Sahib,"  said  I,  seeing  he  was  in  good  humor  now, 
"tell  me  of  this  Wassmuss." 

"All  in  good  time !"  he  answered.  And  when  he  has 
decided  it  is  not  yet  time  to  answer,  it  is  wisest  to  be 
still.  After  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  with  the  men, 
I  followed  him  across  the  yard  and  entered  the  station 
waiting-room — a  pretentious  place,  with  fancy  bronze 
handles  on  the  doors  and  windows. 

Lo,  there  sat  Tugendheim,  with  his  hands  deep 
in  his  pockets  and  a  great  cigar  between  his  teeth.  His 
four  guards  stood  with  bayonets  fixed,  making  believe 
to  wait  on  him,  but  in  truth  watching  him  as  caged 
wolves  eye  their  dinner.  Ranjoor  Singh  was  behav- 
ing almost  respectfully  toward  him,  which  filled  me 
with  disgust;  but  presently  I  saw  and  understood. 
There  was  a  little  window  through  which  to  sell 
tickets,  and  down  in  one  corner  of  it  the  frosting  had 
been  rubbed  from  off  the  glass. 

"There  is  an  eye,"  said  I  in  an  undertone,  "that  I 
could  send  a  bullet  through  without  difficulty!"  But 
Ranjoor  Singh  called  me  a  person  without  judgment 
and  turned  his  back. 

"JVhen  do  we  start?"  asked  Tugendheim. 


HIRA  SINGH  155 

"When  the  men  have  finished  eating,"  he  answered, 
and  at  that  I  stared  again,  for  I  knew  the  men's  mood 
and  did  not  believe  it  possible  to  get  them  away  with- 
out  a  long  rest,  nor  even  in  that  case  without  argu- 
ment. 

"What  if  they  refuse  ?"  said  I,  and  Ranjoor  Singh 
faced  about  to  look  at  me. 

"Do  you  refuse?"  he  asked.  "Go  and  warn  them 
to  finish  eating  and  be  ready  to  march  in  twenty  min- 
utes!" 

So  I  went,  and  delivered  the  message,  and  it  was 
as  I  had  expected,  only  worse. 

"So  those  are  his  words?  What  are  words!"  said 
they.  "Ask  him  whither  he  would  lead  us!"  shouted 
Gooja  Singh.  He  had  been  talking  in  whispers  with 
a  dozen  men  at  the  rear  of  the  middle  hut. 

"If  I  take  him  such  dogs'  answers,"  said  I,  "he 
will  dismiss  me  and  there  will  be  no  more  a  go-be- 
tween." 

"Go,  take  him  this  message,"  shouted  Gooja  Singh. 
"But  for  his  sinking  of  our  ship  we  should  now  be 
among  friends  in  Gallipoli !  Could  we  not  have  seized 
another  ship  and  plundered  coal  ?  Tell  him,  therefore, 
if  he  wishes  to  lead  us  he  must  use  good  judgment.  Are 
we  leaves  blown  hither  and  thither  for  his  amusement  ? 
Nay !  We  belong  to  the  British  Army !  Tell  him  we 
will  march  toward  Gallipoli  or  nowhither!  We  will 
march  until  opposite  Gallipoli,  and  search  for  some 
means  of  crossing." 

"I  will  take  that  as  Gooja  Singh's  message,  then," 
said  I. 

"Nay,   nay!"   said  he.      "That   is   the   regiment's 


156  HIRA  SINGH 

message!"  And  the  dozen  men  with  whom  he  had 
been  whispering  nodded  acquiescence. 

"Is  Gooja  Singh  the  regiment?"  I  asked. 

"No,"  said  he,  "but  I  am  of  the  regiment.  I  am 
not  a  man  running  back  and  forth,  false  to  both  sides !" 

I  was  not  taken  by  surprise.  Something  of  that 
sort  sooner  or  later  I  knew  must  come,  but  I  would 
have  preferred  another  time  and  place. 

"Be  thou  go-between  then,  Gooja  Singh!"  said  I. 
"I  accepted  only  under  strong  persuasion.  Gladly  I 
relinquish!  Gro  thou,  and  carry  thy  message  to  Ran- 
joor  Singh !"  And  I  sat  down  in  the  entrance  of  the 
middle  hut,  as  if  greatly  relieved  of  heavy  burdens. 
"I  have  finished!"  I  said.  "I  am  not  even  havildar! 
I  will  request  reduction  to  the  ranks!" 

For  about  a  minute  I  sat  while  the  men  stared  in 
astonishment.  Then  they  began  to  rail  at  me,  but  ."^ 
shook  my  head.  They  coaxed  me,  but  I  refused. 
Presently  they  begged  me,  but  I  took  no  notice. 

"Let  Gooja  Singh  be  your  messenger!"  said  I. 
And  at  that  they  turned  on  Gooja  Singh,  and  some 
of  them  went  and  dragged  him  forward,  he  resisting 
with  arms  and  feet.    They  set  him  down  before  me. 

"Say  the  word,"  said  they,  "and  he  shall  be  beaten !" 

So  I  got  on  my  feet  again  and  asked  whether  they 
were  soldiers  or  monkey-folk,  to  fall  thus  suddenly 
on  one  of  their  number,  and  he  a  superior.  I  bade 
them  loose  Gooja  Singh,  and  I  laid  my  hand  on  his 
shoulder,  helping  him  to  his  feet. 

"Are  we  many  men  with  many  troubles,  or  one 
regiment?"  said  I. 

At  that  most  of  them  grew  ashamed,  and  those 
who  had  assaulted  Gooja  Singh  began  to  make  excuses. 


HIRA  SINGH  157 

but  he  went  back  to  the  rear  to  the  men  who  had 
whispered  with  him.  They  drew  away,  and  he  sat  in 
silence  apart,  I  rejoicing  secretly  at  his  discomfiture 
but  fearful  nevertheless. 

"Now !"  said  I.  "Appoint  another  man  to  wait  on 
Ranjoor  Singh!" 

But  they  cried  out,  "Nay!  We  will  have  none  but 
you.  You  have  done  well — we  trust  you — we  are  con- 
tent l" 

I  made  much  play  of  unwillingness,  but  allowed 
them  to  persuade  me  in  the  end,  yielding  a  little  at  a 
time  and  gaining  from  them  ever  new  protestations 
of  their  loyalty  until  at  last  I  let  them  think  they  had 
convinced  me. 

"Nevertheless,"  said  they,  "tell  Ranjoor  Singh  he 
must  lead  us  toward  Gallipoli!"  They  were  firm  on 
that  point. 

So  I  went  back  to  the  waiting-room  and  told  Ran- 
joor Singh  all  that  had  happened,  omitting  nothing, 
and  he  stood  breaking  pieces  from  a  loaf  of  bread,  with 
his  fingers,  not  burying  his  teeth  into  the  loaf  as  most 
of  us  had  done.  He  asked  me  the  names  of  the  men 
who  had  so  spoken  and  I  told  him,  he  repeating  them 
and  considering  each  name  for  a  moment  or  two. 

"Have  they  finished  eating?"  he  asked  at  last,  and 
I  told  him  they  had  as  good  as  finished.  So  he  ate  his 
own  bread  faster. 

"Come,"  he  ordered  presently,  beckoning  to 
Tugendheim  and  the  four  guards  to  follow. 

It  was  raining  as  hard  as  ever  as  we  crossed  the 
station  yard,  and  the  men  had  excuse  enough  for  dis- 
liking to  turn  out.  Yet  they  scented  development,  I 
think,  and  none  refused,  although  they  fell  in  just  not 


158  HIRA  SINGH 

sullenly  enough  to  call  for  reprimand.  Ranjoor  SingH 
drew  the  roll  from  his  inner  pocket  and  they  all 
answered  to  their  names.  Then,  without  referring  to 
the  list  again,  he  named  those  who  I  had  told  him  used 
high  words  to  me,  beginning  at  Gooja  Singh  and  omit- 
ting none. 

"Fall  out!"  he  ordered.  And  when  they  had 
obeyed,  "Fall  in  again  over  there  on  the  left !" 

There  were  three-and-twenty  of  them,  Gooja  Singh 
included,  and  they  glared  at  me.  So  did  others,  and  I 
wondered  grimly  how  many  enemies  I  had  made.  But 
then  Ranjoor  Singh  cleared  his  throat  and  we  recog- 
nized again  the  old  manner  that  had  made  a  squadron 
love  him  to  the  death  at  home  in  India — the  manner 
of  a  man  with  good  legs  under  him  and  no  fear  in  his 
heart.  All  but  the  three-and-twenty  forgot  forthwith 
my  part  in  the  matter. 

"Am  I  to  be  herdsman,  then  ?"  said  he,  pitching  his 
voice  against  wind  and  rain.  "Are  ye  men — or  ani- 
mals? Hunted  animals  would  have  known  enough  to 
eat  and  hurry  on.  Hunted  animals  would  be  wise 
enough  to  run  in  the  direction  least  expected.  Hunted 
animals  would  take  advantage  of  ill  weather  to  put 
distance  between  them  and  their  foe.  Some  of  you, 
then,  must  be  less  than  animals!  Men  I  can  lead. 
Animals  I  can  drive.  But  what  shall  be  done  with 
such  less-than-animals  as  can  neither  be  led  nor 
driven  ?" 

Then  he  turned  about  half-left  to  face  the  three- 
and-twenty,  and  stood  as  it  were  waiting  for  their 
answer,  with  one  hand  holding  the  other  wrist  behind 


HIRA  SINGH  159 

his  back.  And  they  stood  shifting  feet  and  looking 
back  at  him,  extremely  ill-at-ease. 

"What  is  the  specific  charge  against  us?"  asked 
Gooja  Singh,  for  the  men  began  to  thrust  him  for- 
ward. But  Ranjoor  Singh  let  no  man  draw  him  from 
the  main  point  to  a  lesser  one. 

"You  have  leave,"  said  he,  "to  take  one  box  of 
cartridges  and  go  !  Gallipoli  lies  that  way !"  And  he 
pointed  through  the  rain. 

Then  the  two-and-twenty  forgot  me  and  began  at 
once  abusing  Gooja  Singh,  he  trying  to  refute  them, 
and  Ranjoor  Singh  watching  them  all  with  a  feeling, 
I  thought,  of  pity.  Tugendheim,  trying  to  make  the 
ends  of  his  mustaches  stand  upright  in  the  rain, 
laughed  as  if  he  thought  it  a  very  great  joke;  but  the 
rest  of  the  men  looked  doubtful.  I  knew  they  were 
unwilling  to  turn  their  backs  on  any  of  our  number, 
yet  afraid  to  force  an  issue,  for  Ranjoor  Singh  had 
them  in  a  quandary.  I  thought  perhaps  I  might 
mediate. 

"Sahib,"  said  I. 

"Silence!"  he  ordered.  So  I  stepped  back  to  my 
place,  and  a  dozen  men  laughed  at  me,  for  which  I 
vowed  vengeance.  Later  when  my  wrath  had  cooled  I 
knew  the  reprimand  and  laughter  wiped  out  suspicion 
of  me,  and  when  my  chance  came  to  take  vengeance 
on  them  I  refrained,  although  careful  to  reassert  my 
dignity. 

After  much  argument,  Gooja  Singh  turned  his 
back  at  last  on  the  two-and-twenty  and  saluted  Ran- 
joor Singh  with  great  abasement. 


160  HIRA  SINGH 

"Sahib,"  said  he,  "we  have  no  wish  to  go  one  way 
and  you  another.    We  be  of  the  regiment." 

"Ye  have  set  yourselves  up  to  be  dictators.  Ye 
have  used  wild  words.  Ye  have  tried  to  seduce  the 
rest.    Ye  have  my  leave  to  go!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Nay!"  said  Gooja  Singh.  "We  will  not  go!  We 
follow  the  regiment!" 

"Will  ye  follow  like  dogs  that  pick  up  offal,  then  ?" 
he  asked,  and  Gooja  Singh  said,  "Nay !  We  be  no 
dogs,  but  true  men !  We  be  faithful  to  the  salt,  sahib," 
said  he.  "We  be  sorry  we  offended.  We  be  true  men 
— true  to  the  salt." 

Now,  that  was  the  truth.  Their  fault  had  lain  in 
not  believing  their  officer  at  least  as  faithful  as  they 
and  ten  times  wiser.  Every  man  in  the  regiment  knew 
it  was  truth,  and  for  all  that  the  rain  poured  down  in 
torrents,  obscuring  vision,  I  could  see  that  the  general 
feeling  was  swinging  all  one  way.  If  I  had  dared,  I 
would  have  touched  Ranjoor  Singh's  elbow,  and  have 
whispered  to  him.  But  I  did  not  dare.  Nor  was  there 
need.  The  instant  he  spoke  again  I  knew  he  saw 
clearer  than  I. 

"Ye  speak  of  the  salt,"  said  he. 

"Aye!"  said  Gooja  Singh.  "Aye,  sahib!  In  the 
tiame  of  God  be  good  to  us!  Whom  else  shall  we 
follow?" 

"Aye,  sahib!"  said  the  others.  "Put  us  to  the 
test!" 

The  lined-up  regiment,  that  had  been  standing 
rigid,  not  at  attention,  but  with  muscles  tense,  now 
stood  easier,  and  it  might  have  been  a  sigh  that  passed 
among  them. 


HIRA  SINGH  161 

"Then,  until  I  release  you  for  good  behavior,  you 
three-and-twenty  shall  be  amtnunition  bearers,"  said 
Ranjoor  Singh.  "Give  over  your  rifles  for  other  men  to 
carry.  Each  two  men  take  a  box  of  cartridges.  Swiftly 
now!"  said  he. 

So  they  gave  up  their  rifles,  which  in  itself  was 
proof  enough  that  they  never  intended  harm,  but  were 
only  misled  by  Gooja  Singh  and  the  foolishness  of  their 
own  words.  And  they  picked  up  the  cartridge  boxes, 
leaving  Gooja  Singh  standing  alone  by  the  last  one. 
He  made  a  wry  face.  "Who  shall  carry  this?"  said 
he,  and  Ranjoor  Singh  laughed. 

"My  rank  is  havildar!"  said  Gooja  Singh. 

Ranjoor  Singh  laughed  again.  "I  will  hold  court- 
martial  and  reduce  you  to  the  ranks  whenever  I  see 
the  need !"  said  he.  "For  the  present,  you  shall  teach 
a  new  kind  of  lesson  to  the  men  you  have  misled. 
They  toil  with  ammunition  boxes.  You  shall  stride 
free!" 

Gooja  Singh  had  handed  his  rifle  to  me,  and  I 
passed  it  to  a  trooper.  He  stepped  forward  now  to 
regain  it  with  something  of  a  smirk  on  his  fat  lips. 

"Nay,  nay!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  with  another 
laugh.  "No  rifle,  Gooja  Singh!  Be  herdsman  with- 
out honor!  If  one  man  is  lost  on  the  road  you  shall 
be  sent  back  alone  to  look  for  him !  Herd  them,  then ; 
drive  them,  as  you  value  peace !" 

There  being  then  one  box  to  be  provided  for,  he 
chose  eight  strong  men  to  take  turns  with  it,  each  two 
to  carry  for  half  an  hour;  and  that  these  might  know 
there  was  no  disgrace  attached  to  their  task,  they 
were  placed  in  front,  to  march  as  if  they  were  the 


162  HIRA  SINGH 

band.  Nor  was  Gooja  Singh  allowed  to  march  last, 
as  I  expect  he  had  hoped ;  he  and  his  twenty-two  were 
set  in  the  midst,  where  they  could  eat  shame,  always 
under  the  eyes  of  half  of  us.  Then  Ranjoor  Singh 
raised  his  voice  again. 

"To  try  to  reach  Gallipoli,"  he  said,  "would  be  as 
wise  as  to  try  to  reach  Berlin !  Both  shores  are  held  by 
Turkish  troops  under  German  officers.  We  found  the 
one  spot  where  it  was  possible  to  slip  through  unde- 
tected. We  must  make  the  most  of  that.  Moreover, 
if  they  refuse  to  believe  we  were  drownd  last  night, 
they  will  look  for  us  in  the  direction  of  Gallipoli,  for 
all  the  German  officers  in  Stamboul  knew  how  your 
hearts  burned  to  go  thither.  It  was  a  joke  among 
them!  Let  it  be  our  business  to  turn  the  joke  on 
them !  There  will  be  forced  marches  now — long  hun- 
gry ones^ —  Form  fours !"  he  ordered.  "By  the  right — • 
Quick  march!"  And  we  wheeled  away  into  the  rain, 
he  marching  on  the  flank.    I  ran  and  overtook  him. 

"Take  a  horse,  sahib !"  I  urged.  "See  them  in  that 
shed !    Take  one  and  ride,  for  it  is  more  fitting !" 

"Better  plunder  and  burn!"  said  he.  "If  a  man 
stole  my  dinner  I  might  let  him  run;  but  if  he  stole 
my  horse,  he  and  I  and  death  would  play  hide-and- 
seek!  We  need  forgetfulness,  not  angry  memories, 
behind  us !     Keep  thou  a  good  eye  on  Tugendheim !" 

So  I  fell  to  the  rear,  where  I  could  see  all  the  men, 
Tugendheim  included".  In  a  very  few  minutes  we  had 
lost  the  station  buildings  in  the  rain  behind  us  and  then 
Ranjoor  Singh  began  to  lead  in  a  wide  semicircle,  so 
that  before  long  I  judged  we  were  marching  about 
southeastward.     At  the  end  of  an   hour  or   so  he 


HIRA  SINGH  163 

changed  direction  to  due  east,  and  presently  we  saw 
another  telegraph  line.  I  overtook  him  again  and  sug- 
gested that  we  cut  it. 

"Nay!"  said  he.  "If  that  line  works  and  we  are 
not  believed  drowned,  too  many  telegrams  will  have 
been  sent  already!  To  cut  it  would  give  them  our 
exact  position!  Otherwise — ^why  make  trouble  and 
perhaps  cause  pursuit?" 

So  we  marched  under  the  telegraph  wire  and  took 
a  course  about  parallel  to  it.  At  noon  it  ceased  raining 
iand  we  rested,  eating  the  bread,  of  which  every  man 
had  brought  away  three  loaves.  After  that,  what  with 
marching  and  the  wind  and  sun  our  clothes  began  to 
dry  and  we  became  more  cheerful — all,  that  is  to  say, 
except  the  ammunition  bearers,  who  abused  Gooja 
Singh  with  growing  fervency.  Yet  he  was  compelled 
to  drive  them  lest  he  himself  be  court  martialed  and 
reduced  to  the  ranks. 

Cheerfulness  and  selfishness  are  often  one,  sahib, 
for  it  was  not  what  we  could  see  that  raised  our  spirits. 
We  marched  by  village  after  village  that  had  been 
combed  by  the  foragers  for  Turkish  armies,  and  saw 
only  destitution  to  right  and  left,  behind  and  before. 
The  only  animals  we  saw  were  dead  ones  except  the 
dogs  hunting  for  bones  that  might  have  marrow  in 
them  still. 

We  saw  no  men  of  military  age.  Only  very  old 
men  were  left,  and  but  few  of  those;  they  and  the 
women  and  children  ran  away  at  sight  of  us,  except  a 
very  few  who  seemed  careless  from  too  much  misery. 
One  such  man  had  a  horse,  covered  from  head  to  foot 
with  sores,  that  he  offered  to  sell  to  Ranjoo^  Singh. 


164  HIRA  SINGH 

I  did  not  overhear  what  price  he  asked,  but  I  heard 
the  men  scoffing  at  such  avarice  as  would  rob  the  vul- 
tures. He  went  away  saying  nothing,  like  a  man  in 
stupor,  leaving  the  horse  to  die.  Nay,  sahib,  he  had 
not  understood  the  words. 

We  slept  that  first  night  in  a  village  whose  one 
street  was  a  quagmire  and  a  cesspool.  There  was  no 
difficulty  in  finding  shelter  because  so  many  of  the 
houses  were  deserted;  but  the  few  inhabitants  of  the 
other  houses  could  not  be  persuaded  to  produce  food. 
Ranjoor  Singh  took  their  money  away  from  the  four 
men  whom  I  had  overlooked  when  we  all  gave  up  our 
money  on  the  steamer,  and  with  that,  and  Tugendheim 
for  extra  argument,  he  went  from  house  to  house. 
Tugendheim  used  no  tenderness,  such  being  not  his 
manner  of  approach,  but  nothing  came  of  it.  They 
may  have  had  food  hidden,  but  we  ate  stale  bread  and 
gave  them  some  of  it,  although  Ranjoor  Singh  forbade 
us  when  he  saw  what  we  were  doing.  He  thought  I 
had  not  been  looking  when  he  gave  some  of  his  own 
to  a  little  one. 

We  were  up  and  away  at  dawn,  with  all  the  dogs 
in  Asia  at  our  heels.  They  smelled  our  stale  bread 
and  yearned  for  it.  It  was  more  than  an  hour  before 
the  last  one  gave  up  hope  and  fell  behind.  They  are 
hard  times,  sahib,  when  the  street  dogs  are  as  hungry 
as  those  were. 

Hunger !  We  met  hunger  day  after  day  for  eight 
days — hunger  and  nothing  else,  although  it  was  good 
enough  land — ^better  than  any  I  have  seen  in  the  Pun- 
jab. There  was  water  everywhere.  The  air,  too,  was 
good  to  breathe,  tempting  us  to  fill  our  lungs  and 


HIRA  SINGH  165 

march  like  new  men,  yet  causing  appetite  we  could  not 
assuage.  We  avoided  towns,  and  all  large  villages, 
Ranjoor  Singh  consulting  his  map  whenever  we  halted 
and  marching  by  the  little  compass  the  Germans  had 
given  him.  We  should  have  seen  sheep  or  goats  or 
cattle  had  there  been  any;  but  there  was  none.  Ut- 
terly not  one!  And  we  Sikhs  are  farmers,  not  easily 
deceived  on  such  matters ;  we  knew  that  to  be  grazifig 
land  we  crossed.  It  was  a  land  of  fruit,  too,  in  the 
proper  season.  There  had  been  cattle  by  the  thousand, 
but  they  were  all  gone — ^plundered  by  the  Turks  to 
feed  their  armies. 

Ranjoor  Singh  did  his  best  to  make  us  husband  our 
stale  loaves,  but  we  ate  the  last  of  them  and  became 
like  famished  wolves.  Some  of  us  grew  footsore,  for 
we  had  German  boots,  to  which  our  feet  were  not  yet 
thoroughly  accustomed,  but  he  gave  us  no  more  rest 
than  he  needed  for  his  own  refreshment — and  that 
was  wonderfully  little.  We  had  to  nurse  and  bandage 
our  feet  as  best  we  could,  and  march — ^march — ' 
march !  He  had  a  definite  plan,  for  he  led  unhesitat- 
ingly, but  he  would  not  tell  us  the  plan.  He  was  stem 
when  we  begged  for  longer  rests,  merciless  toward  the 
ammunition  bearers,  silent  at  all  times  unless  com- 
pelled to  give  orders  or  correct  us.  Most  of  the  time 
he  kept  Tugendheim  marching  beside  him,  and 
Tugendheim,  I  think,  began  to  regard  him  with  quite 
peculiar  respect;  for  he  admired  resolution. 

Most  of  us  felt  that  our  last  day  of  marching  was 
upon  us,  for  we  were  ready  to  drop  when  we  skirted 
a  village  at  about  noon  on  the  eighth  day  and  saw  in 
the  distance  a  citadel  perched  on  a  rocky  hill  above  the 


166  HIRA  SINGH 

sky-line.  We  were  on  flat  land,  but  there  was  a  knoll 
near,  and  to  that  Ranjoor  Singh  led  us,  and  there  he 
let  us  lie.  He,  weary  as  we  but  better  able  to  over- 
come, drew  out  his  map  and  spread  it,  weighting  the 
four  corners  with  stones;  and  he  studied  it  chin  on 
hand  for  about  five  minutes,  we  watching  him  in 
silence. 

*That,"  said  he,  standing  at  last  and  pointing 
toward  the  distant  citadel,  "is  Angora.  Yonder"  (he 
made  a  sweeping  motion)  "runs  the  railway  whose 
terminus  is  at  Angora.  There  are  many  long  roads 
hereabouts,  so  that  the  place  has  become  a  depot  for 
food  and  stores  that  the  Turks  plunder  and  the  Ger- 
mans despatch  over  the  railway  to  the  coast.  The  rail- 
way has  been  taken  over  by  the  Germans." 

"Are  we  to  storm  the  town  ?"  asked  a  trooper,  and 
fifty  men  mocked  him.  But  Ranjoor  Singh  looked 
down  kindly  at  him  and  gave  him  a  word  of  praise. 

"No,  my  son,"  he  said.  "Yet  if  all  had  been  stout 
enough  to  ask  that,  I  would  have  dared  attempt  it.  No, 
we  are  perhaps  a  little  desperate,  but  not  yet  so  des- 
perate as  that." 

He  began  sweeping  the  horizon  with  his  eyes, 
quartering  the  countryside  mile  by  mile,  overlooking 
nothing.  I  saw  him  watch  the  wheeling  kites  and  look 
below  them,  and  twice  I  saw  him  fix  his  gaze  for 
minutes  at  a  time  on  one  place. 

"We  will  eat  to-night !"  he  said  at  last.  "Sleep,"  he 
ordered.  "Lie  down  and  sleep  until  I  summon  you!" 
But  he  called  me  to  his  side  and  kept  me  wakeful  for 
a  while  yet. 

"Look  yonder,"  said  he,  and  when  I  had  gazed  for 


HIRA  SINGH  167 

about  two  minutes  I  was  aware  of  a  column  of  men 
and  animals  moving  toward  the  city.  A  little  enough 
column. 

"How  fast  are  they  moving?"  he  asked  me,  and  I 
gazed  for  several  minutes,  reaching  no  decision.  I 
said  they  were  too  far  away,  and  coming  too  much 
toward  us  for  their  speed  to  be  accurately  judged.  Yet 
I  thought  they  moved  slowly. 

Said  he,  "Do  you  see  that  hollow — one,  two,  three 
miles  this  side  of  them?"  And  I  answered  yes.  "That 
is  a  bend  of  the  river  that  flows  by  the  city,"  said  he. 
"There  is  water  there,  and  fire-wood.  They  have  come 
far  and  are  heading  toward  it.  They  are  too  far  spent 
to  reach  Angora  before  night.  They  will  not  try. 
That  is  where  they  will  camp." 

"Sahib,"  I  said,  considering  his  words  as  a  cook 
tastes  curry,  "our  men  be  overweary  to  have  fight  in 
them." 

"Who  spoke  of  fighting?"  said  he.  So  I  went  and 
lay  down,  and  fell  asleep  wondering.  When  he  came 
and  roused  me  it  was  already  growing  late.  By  the 
time  I  had  roused  the  men  and  they  were  all  lined  up 
we  could  no  longer  see  Angora  for  the  darkness ;  which 
worked  both  ways — ^those  in  Angora  could  not  see 
us. 

"If  any  catch  sight  of  us,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh, 
speaking  in  a  loud  voice  to  us  all,  "let  us  hope  they 
mistake  us  for  friends.  What  Turk  or  German  looks 
for  an  enemy  hereabouts?  The  chances  are  all  ours, 
but  beware !    Be  silent  as  ye  know  how !    Forward !" 

It  was  a  pitiable  effort,  for  our  bellies  yearned  and 
our  feet  were  sore  and  stiff.     We  stumbled   from 


168  HIRA  SINGH 

weariness,  and  men  fell  and  were  helped  up  again. 
Gooja  Singh  and  his  ammunition  bearers  made  more 
noise  than  a  squadron  of  mounted  cavalry,  and  the 
way  proved  twice  as  long  as  the  most  hopeless  had 
expected.  Yet  we  made  the  circuit  unseen  and,  as 
far  as  we  knew,  unheard — certainly  unchallenged. 
Doubtless,  as  Ranjoor  Singh  said  afterward,  the  Turks 
were  too  overriden  by  Germans  and  the  Germans  too 
overconfident  to  suspect  the  presence  of  an  enemy. 

At  any  rate,  although  we  made  more  noise  than 
was  expedient,  we  halted  at  last  among  low  bushes 
and  beheld  nine  or  ten  Turkish  sentries  posted  along 
the  rim  of  a  rise,  all  unaware  of  us.  Two  were  fast 
asleep.  Some  sat.  The  others  drowsed,  leaning  on 
their  rifles.  Ranjoor  Singh  gave  us  whispered  orders 
and  we  rushed  them,  only  one  catching  sight  of  us  in 
time  to  raise  an  alarm.  He  fired  his  rifle,  but  hit  no- 
body, and  in  another  second  they  were  all  surrounded 
and  disarmed. 

Then,  down  in  the  hollow  we  saw  many  little  camp- 
fires,  each  one  reflected  in  the  water.  Some  Turks 
and  about  fifty  men  of  another  nation  sat  up  and 
rubbed  their  eyes,  and  a  Turkish  captain — an  upstand- 
ing flabby  man,  came  out  from  the  only  tent  to  learn 
what  the  trouble  might  be.  Ranjoor  Singh  strode 
down  into  the  hollow  and  enlightened  him,  we  stand- 
ing around  the  rim  of  the  rise  with  our  bayonets 
fixed  and  rifles  at  the  "ready."  I  did  not  hear  what 
Ranjoor  Singh  said  to  the  Turkish  captain  because 
he  left  me  to  prevent  the  men  from  stampeding  toward 
the  smell  of  food — no  easy  task. 

After  five  minutes  he  shouted  for  Tugendheim, 


~     HIRA  SINGH  169 

and  the  German  went  down  the  slope  visibly  annoyed 
by  the  four  guards  who  kept  their  bayonets  within  a 
yard  of  his  back.  It  was  a  fortunate  circumstance 
for  us,  not  only  then  but  very  many  times,  that 
Tugendheim  would  have  thought  himself  disgraced  by 
appealing  to  a  Turk.  Seeing  there  was  no  German 
officer  in  the  hollow,  he  adopted  his  arrogant  manner, 
and  the  Turkish  officer  drew  back  from  him  like  a 
man  stung.  After  that  the  Turkish  captain  appeared 
to  resign  himself  to  impotence,  for  he  ordered  his 
men  to  pile  arms  and  retired  into  his  tent. 

Then  Ranjoor  Singh  came  up  the  slope  and  picked 
the  twenty  men  who  seemed  least  ready  to  drop  with 
weariness,  of  whom  I  regretted  to  be  one.  He  set  us 
on  guard  where  the  Turkish  sentries  had  been,  and 
the  Turks  were  sent  below,  where  presently  they  fell 
asleep  among  their  brethren,  as  weary,  no  doubt,  from 
plundering  as  we  were  from  marching  on  empty  bel- 
lies. None  of  them  seemed  annoyed  to  be  disarmed. 
Strange  people !    Fierce,  yet  strangely  tolerant ! 

Then  all  the  rest  of  the  men,  havildars  no  whit 
behind  the  rest,  swooped  down  on  the  camp-fires,  and 
presently  the  smell  of  toasting  corn  began  to  rise,  until 
my  mouth  watered  and  my  belly  yearned.  Fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes  later  (it  seemed  like  twenty  hours, 
sahib!)  hot  corn  was  brought  to  us  and  we  on  guard 
began  to  be  new  men.  Nevertheless,  food  made  the 
guard  more  sleepy,  and  I  was  hard  put  to  it  walking 
from  one  to  another  keeping  them  awake. 

All  that  night  I  knew  nothing  of  what  passed  in 
the  camp  below,  but  I  learned  later  on  that  Ranjoor 
Singh  found  among  the  Syrians  whose  business  was 


170  HIRA  SINGH 

to  load  and  drive  carts  a  man  named  Abraham.  All 
in  the  camp  who  were  not  Turks  were  Syrians,  and 
these  Syrians  had  been  dragged  away  from  their 
homes  scores  of  leagues  away  and  made  to  labor  with- 
out remuneration.  This  Abraham  was  a  gifted  man, 
who  had  been  in  America,  and  knew  English,  as  well 
as  several  dialects  of  Kurdish,  and  Turkish  and  Arabic 
and  German.  He  knew  better  German  than  English, 
and  had  frequently  been  made  to  act  interpreter.  Later, 
when  we  marched  together,  he  and  I  became  good 
friends,  and  he  told  me  many  things. 

Well,  sahib,  after  he  had  eaten  a  little  corn,  Ran- 
joor  Singh  questioned  this  man  Abraham,  and  then 
went  with  him  through  the  camp,  examining  the  plun- 
der the  Turks  had  seen  fit  to  requisition.  It  was  plain 
that  this  particular  Turkish  officer  was  no  paragon  of 
all  the  virtues,  and  Ranjoor  Singh  finally  entered  his 
tent  unannounced,  taking  Abraham  with  him.  So  it 
was  that  I  learned  the  details  later,  for  Abraham  told 
me  all  I  asked. 

On  a  box  beside  the  bed  Ranjoor  Singh  found 
writing-paper,  envelopes,  and  requisition  forms  not  yet 
filled  out,  but  already  signed  with  a  seal  and  a  Turkish 
signature.  There  was  a  map,  and  a  list  of  routes  and 
villages.  But  best  of  all  was  a  letter  of  instructions 
signed  by  a  German  officer.  There  were  also  other 
priceless  things,  of  some  of  which  I  may  chance  to 
speak  later, 

I  was  told  by  Abraham  that  during  the  conversa- 
tion following  Ranjoor  Singh's  seizure  of  the  papers 
the  word  Wassmuss  was  bandied  back  and  forth  a 
thousand  times,  the  Turk  growing  rather  more  amen- 


HIRA  SINGH  171 

able  each  time  the  word  was  used.  Finally  the  Turk 
resigned  himself  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  and 
was  left  in  his  tent  with  a  guard  of  our  men  at  each 
corner. 

Then,  for  all  that  the  night  was  black  dark  and 
there  were  very  few  lanterns,  the  camp  began  to  be 
turned  upside  down,  Ranjoor  Singh  ordering  every- 
thing thrown  aside  that  could  not  be  immediately  use- 
ful to  us.  There  were  forty  carts,  burdened  to  the 
breaking  point,  and  twenty  of  them  Ranjoor  Singh 
abandoned  as  too  heavy  for  our  purpose.  Most  of  the 
carts  had  been  drawn  by  teams  of  six  mules  each,  but 
ten  of  them  had  been  drawn  by  horses,  and  besides 
the  Turkish  captain's  horse  there  were  four  other  spare 
ones.  There  were  also  about  a  hundred  sheep  and 
some  goats. 

Ranjoor  Singh  ordered  all  the  corn  repacked  into 
fourteen  of  the  carts,  sheep  and  goats  into  four 
carts,  and  ammunition  into  the  remaining  two,  leaving 
room  in  each  cart  for  two  men  so  that  the  guard  who 
had  stood  awake  all  night  might  ride  and  sleep.  That 
left  him  with  sixty-four  spare  horses.  Leaving  the 
Turkish  officer  his  own  horse,  but  taking  the  saddle 
for  himself,  he  gave  Tugendheim  one,  me  another,  the 
third  to  Gooja  Singh — ^he  being  next  non-commis- 
sioned officer  to  me  in  order  of  seniority,  and  having 
had  punishment  enough — and  the  fourth  horse,  that 
was  much  the  best  one,  he  himself  took.  Then  he 
chose  sixty  men  to  cease  from  being  infantry  and  be- 
come a  sort  of  cavalry  again — cavalry  without  saddles 
as  yet,  or  stirrups — cavalry  with  rifles — cavalry  with 
aching  feet — ^but  cavalry  none  the  less.    He  picked  the 


172  HIRA  SINGH 

sixty  with  great  wisdom,  choosing  for  the  mo^t  part 
men  who  had  given  no  trouble,  but  he  included  ten  or 
twelve  grumblers,  although  for  a  day  or  two  I  did  not 
understand  why.  There  was  forethought  in  every- 
thing he  did. 

The  sheep  that  could  not  be  crowded  into  the  carts 
he  ordered  butchered  there  and  then,  and  the  meat  dis- 
tributed among  the  men;  and  all  the  plunder  that  he 
decided  not  to  take  he  ordered  heaped  in  one  place 
where  it  would  not  be  visible  unless  deliberately  looked 
for.  The  plundered  money  that  he  found  in  the 
Turk's  tent  he  hid  under  the  corn  in  the  foremost  cart, 
and  we  found  it  very  useful  later  on.  The  few  of  our 
men  who  had  not  fallen  asleep  were  for  burning  the 
piled-up  plunder,  but  he  threatened  to  shoot  whoever 
dared  set  match  to  it. 

"Shall  we  light  a  beacon  to  warn  the  countryside  ?" 
said  he. 

A  little  after  midnight  there  began  to  be  attempts 
by  Turkish  soldiers  to  break  through  and  run  for 
Angora.  But  I  had  kept  my  twenty  guards  awake 
with  threats  of  being  made  to  carry  ammunition — 
even  letting  the  butt  of  my  rifle  do  work  not  set  down 
in  the  regulations.  So  it  came  about  that  we  captured 
every  single  fugitive.  They  were  five  all  told,  and  I 
sent  them,  tied  together,  down  to  Ranjoor  Singh. 
Thereupon  he  went  to  the  Turk,  and  promised  him 
personal  violence  if  another  of  his  men  should  attempt 
to  break  away.  So  the  Turk  gave  orders  that  were 
obeyed. 

Then,  when  all  the  plunder  in  the  camp  had  been 
rearranged,  and  the  mules  and  horses  reapportioned, 


HIRA  SINGH  173 

four  hours  yet  before  dawn,  Ranjoor  Singh  took  out 
his  fountain-pen  and  executed  the  stroke  of  genius 
that  made  what  followed  possible.  Without  Abraham 
I  do  not  know  what  he  would  have  done.  I  can  not 
imagine.  Yet  I  feel  sure  he  would  have  contrived 
something.  He  made  use  of  Abraham  as  the  best  tool 
available,  and  that  is  no  proof  he  could  not  have  done 
as  well  by  other  means.  I  have  learned  this:  that 
Ranjoor  Singh,  with  that  faith  of  his  in  God,  can  do 
anything.  Anything.  He  is  a  true  man,  and  God  puts 
thoughts  into  his  heart. 

Among  the  Turk's  documents  were  big  sheets  of 
paper  for  official  correspondence,  similar  to  that  on 
which  his  orders  were  written.  Ranjoor  Singh  ascer- 
tained from  Abraham  that  he  who  had  signed  those 
orders  was  the  German  officer  highest  in  command  in 
all  that  region,  who  had  left  Angora  a  month  previ- 
ously to  superintend  the  requisitioning. 

So  Ranjoor  Singh  sent  for  Tugendheim,  whose 
writing  would  have  the  proper  clerical  appearance,  and 
by  a  lantern  in  the  tent  dictated  to  him  a  letter  in  Ger- 
man to  the  effect  that  this  Turkish  officer,  by  name 
Nazim,  with  all  his  men  and  carts  and  animals,  had 
been  diverted  to  the  aid  of  Wassmuss.  The  letter  went 
on  to  say  that  on  his  way  back  to  Angora  this  same 
high  German  officer  would  himself  cover  the  territory 
thus  left  uncared  for,  so  that  nothing  need  be  done 
about  it  in  the  meanwhile.  (He  wrote  that  to  prevent 
investigation  and  perhaps  pursuit  by  the  men  in  An- 
gora who  waited  Nazim  and  his  plunder.) 

At  the  foot  of  the  letter  Abraham  cleverly  copied 
the  signature  of  the  very  high  German  officer,  after 


174  HIRA  SINGH 

making  many  experiments  first  on  another  sheet  of 
paper. 

Tugendheim  of  course  protested  vehemently  that 
he  would  do  no  such  thing,  when  ordered  to  write. 
But  Ranjoor  Singh  ordered  the  barrel  of  a  Turkish 
soldier's  rifle  thrust  in  the  fire,  and  the  German  did 
not  protest  to  the  point  of  permitting  his  feet  to  be 
singed.  He  wrote  a  very  careful  letter,  even  suggest- 
ing better  phraseology — ^his  reason  for  that  being  that, 
since  he  was  thus  far  committed,  our  total  escape 
would  be  the  best  thing  possible  for  him.  The  Ger- 
mans, who  are  so  fond  of  terrifying  others,  are  mer- 
ciless to  their  own  who  happen  to  be  guilty  of  weak 
conduct,  and  to  have  said  he  was  compelled  to  write 
that  letter  would  have  been  no  excuse  if  we  were 
caught.  Henceforward  it  was  strictly  to  his  interest 
to  help  us. 

Finally,  when  the  letter  had  been  sealed  in  its  en- 
velope, there  came  the  problem  of  addressing  it,  and 
the  Turk  seemed  ignorant  on  that  point,  or  else  stupid. 
Perhaps  he  was  wilfully  ignorant,  hoping  that  the 
peculiar  form  of  the  address  might  cause  suspicion 
and  investigation.  But  what  with  Tugendheim's  fa- 
miliarity with  German  military  custom,  and  Ranjoor 
Singh's  swift  thought,  an  address  was  devised  that 
served  the  purpose,  judging  by  results. 

Then  came  the  problem  of  delivering  the  letter. 
To  have  sent  one  of  the  Turkish  soldiers  with  it 
would  have  been  the  same  thing  as  marching  to  An- 
gora and  surrendering ;  for  of  course  the  Turk  would 
have  told  of  what  happened  in  the  night,  and  where 
it  happened,  and  all  about  it.     To  have  sent  one  of 


HIRA  SINGH  175 

the  half -starved  Syrians  would  probably  have 
amounted  to  the  same  thing;  for  the  sake  of  a  belly- 
ful, or  from  fear  of  ill-treatment  the  wretched  man 
would  very  likely  tell  too  much.  But  Abraham  was 
different.  Abraham  was  an  educated  man,  who  well 
understood  the  value  to  us  of  silence,  and  who  seemed 
to  hate  both  Turks  and  Germans  equally. 

So  Ranjoor  Singh  took  Abraham  aside  and  talked 
with  him  five  minutes.  And  the  end  of  that  was  that 
a  Turkish  soldier  was  compelled  to  strip  himself  and 
change  clothes  with  Abraham,  the  Turk  taking  no 
pleasure  at  all  in  the  exchange.  Then  Abraham  was 
given  a  horse,  and  on  the  outside  of  the  envelope  in 
one  corner  was  written  in  German,  "Bearer  should 
,be  supplied  with  saddle  for  his  horse  and  sent  back 
at  once  with  acknowledgment  of  receipt  of  this." 

There  and  then  Ranjoor  Singh  gave  Abraham  the 
letter,  shook  hands  with  him,  helped  him  on  the  horse, 
and  sent  him  on  his  way — ^three  hours  before  dawn. 
Then  promptly  he  gave  orders  to  all  the  other  Syrians 
to  strike  camp  and  resume  their  regular  occupation 
of  driving  mules. 

The  Turkish  officer,  although  not  deprived  of  his 
horse,  was  not  permitted  to  ride  until  after  daybreak, 
because  of  the  difficulty  otherwise  of  guarding  him  in 
the  dark.  The  same  with  Tugendheim;  although 
there  was  little  reason  for  suspecting  him  of  wanting 
to  escape,  with  that  letter  fresh  in  his  memory,  he 
was  nevertheless  compelled  to  walk  until  daylight 
should  make  escape  impossible. 

The  Turkish  officer  was  made  to  march  in  front 
with  his  four-and-forty  soldiers,  who  were  given  back 


176  HIRA  SINGH 

their  rifles  but  no  bayonets  or  ammunition.  Gooja 
Singh,  whose  two-and-twenty  were  ready  by  that 
time  to  pull  his  beard  out  hair  by  hair,  was  given  fifty 
men  who  hated  him  less  fiercely  and  set  to  march 
next  behind  the  Turks.  Then  came  the  carts  in  sin- 
gle column,  and  after  them  Tugendheim  and  the  re- 
mainder of  our  infantry.  Behind  the  infantry  rode 
the  cavalry,  and  very  last  of  all  rode  Ranjoor  Singh, 
since  that  was  for  the  present  the  post  of  chief  est 
danger. 

As  for  me,  I  tumbled  into  a  cart  and  fell  asleep 
at  once,  scarcely  hearing  the  order  shouted  to  the  Turk 
to  go  forward.  The  men  who  had  been  on  guard 
with  me  all  did  the  same,  falling  asleep  like  I  almost 
before  their  bodies  touched  the  corn. 

When  I  awoke  it  was  already  midday.  We  had 
halted  near  some  trees  and  food  was  being  served 
out.  I  got  under  the  cart  to  keep  the  sun  off  me,  and 
lay  there  musing  until  a  trooper  had  brought  my  meal. 
The  meal  was  good,  and  my  thoughts  were  good — 
excellent !  For  had  we  not  been  a  little  troop  of  lean 
ghosts,  looking  for  graves  to  lie  in?  The  talk  along 
the  way  had  been  of  who  should  bury  us,  or  who 
should  bury  the  last  man,  supposing  we  all  died  one 
by  one!  Had  we  not  been  famished  until  the  very 
wind  was  a  wall  too  heavy  to  prevail  against?  And 
were  we  not  now  what  the  drill-book  calls  a  composite 
force,  with  full  bellies,  carts,  horses  and  equipment? 
Who  thought  about  graves  any  longer?  I  lay  and 
laughed,  sahib,  until  a  trooper  brought  me  dinner — 
laughed  for  contempt  of  the  Germans  we  had  left 
behind,   and   for  the  Turks  whose   plunder  we  had 


HIRA  SINGH  177 

stolen,^ — ^laughed  like  a  fool,  like  a  man  without  brain 
or  experience  or  judgment. 

Not  until  I  had  eaten  my  fill  did  I  bethink  me  of 
Ranjoor  Singh.  Then  I  rose  lazily,  and  was  aston- 
ished at  the  stiffness  in  my  ankles.  Nevertheless  I 
contrived  to  stride  with  military  manner,  in  order  that 
any  Turk  or  Syrian  beholding  me  might  know  me  for 
a  man  to  be  reckoned  with,  the  added  pain  and  effort 
being  well  worth  while. 

Nor  did  I  have  far  to  look  for  Ranjoor  Singh. 
The  instant  I  raised  my  eyes  I  saw  him  sitting  on  a 
great  rock  beneath  the  shadow  of  a  tree,  with  his 
horse  tied  below  him  eating  corn  from  a  cloth  spread 
on  the  ground.  In  order  to  reach  him  with  least  in- 
convenience, I  made  a  circuit  and  approached  from 
the  rear,  because  in  that  direction  the  rock  sloped 
away  gradually  and  I  was  in  no  mood  to  climb,  nor  in 
condition  to  climb  with  dignity. 

So  it  happened  that  I  came  on  him  unaware. 
Nevertheless,  I  was  surprised  that  his  ears  should  not 
detect  my  footfall.  The  horse,  six  feet  below  us, 
was  aware  of  me  first  and  snorted,  yet  Ranjoor  Singh 
did  not  turn  his  head. 

"Sahib !"  said  I ;  but  he  did  not  move. 

"Sahib!"  I  said,  going  a  step  nearer  and  speaking 
louder.  But  he  neither  moved  nor  answered.  Now 
I  knew  there  was  no  laughing  matter,  and  my  hand 
trembled  as  I  held  it  out  to  touch  his  shoulder.  His 
arms  were  folded  above  his  knees  and  his  chin  rested 
on  them.  I  shook  him  slightly,  and  his  chin  fell  down 
between  his  knees;  but  he  did  not  answer.  Now  I 
knew  beyond  doubt  he  was  not  asleep,  for  however 


178  HIRA  SINGH 

weary  he  would  ever  awake  at  a  touch  or  the  lightest 
whisper.  I  began  to  fear  he  was  dead,  and  a  feeling 
of  sickness  swept  over  me  as  that  grim  fear  took  hold. 

"Sahib!"  I  said  again,  taking  his  shoulders  with 
both  hands.  And  he  toppled  over  toward  me,  thus, 
like  a  dead  man.  Yet  he  breathed.  I  made  certain 
he  was  breathing. 

I  shook  him  twice  or  thrice,  with  no  result.  Then 
I  took  him  in  my  arms,  thus,  one  arm  under  the 
knees  and  one  under  his  armpits,  and  lifted  him.  He 
is  a  heavy  man,  all  bone  and  sinew,  and  my  stiff  ankles 
caused  me  agony;  but  I  contrived  to  lay  him  gently 
full  length  in  the  shadow  of  the  tree-trunk,  and  then 
I  covered  him  with  his  overcoat,  to  keep  away  flies. 
I  had  scarcely  finished  that  when  Gooja  Singh  came, 
and  I  cursed  under  my  breath ;  but  openly  I  appeared 
pleased  to  see  him. 

"It  is  well  you  came  !'*  said  L  "Thus  I  am  saved 
the  necessity  of  sending  one  to  bring  you.  Our  sahib 
is  asleep,"  I  said,  "and  has  made  over  the  command 
to  me  until  he  shall  awake  again." 

"He  sleeps  very  suddenly !"  said  Gooja  Singh,  and 
he  stood  eying  me  with  suspicion. 

"Well  he  may!"  said  I,  thinking  furiously — as  a 
man  in  a  burning  house — ^yet  outwardly  all  calm.  "He 
has  done  all  our  thinking  for  us  all  these  days;  he 
has  borne  alone  the  burden  of  responsibility.  He  has 
enforced  the  discipline,"  said  I  with  a  deliberate  stare 
that  made  Gooja  Singh  look  sullen,  "and  God  knows 
how  necessary  that  has  been!  He  has  let  no  littlest 
detail  of  the  march  escape  him.  He  has  eaten  no 
more  than  we;  he  has  marched  as  far  and  as  fast  as 


HIRA  SINGH  179 

we ;  he  has  slept  less  than  any  of  us.  And  now,"  said 
I,  "he  is  weary.  He  kept  awake  until  I  came,  and 
fell  asleep  in  my  arms  when  he  had  given  me  his 
orders." 

Gooja  Singh  looked  as  if  he  did  not  believe  me. 
But  my  words  had  been  but  a  mask  behind  which  I 
was  thinking.  As  I  spoke  I  stepped  sidewise,  as  if 
to  prevent  our  voices  from  disturbing  the  sleeper,  for 
it  seemed  wise  to  draw  Gooja  Singh  to  safer  distance. 
Now  I  sat  down  at  last  on  the  summit  of  the  rock  ex- 
actly where  Ranjoor  Singh  was  sitting  when  I  spied 
him  first,  hoping  that  perhaps  in  his  place  his  thoughts 
would  come  to  me.  And  whether  the  place  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  it  or  not  I  do  not  know,  but  certainly 
wise  thoughts  did  come.  I  reached  a  decision  in  that 
instant  that  was  the  saving  of  us,  and  for  which  Ran- 
joor Singh  greatly  commended  me  later  on.  Because 
of  it,  in  the  days  to  come,  he  placed  greater  confi- 
dence in  my  ability  and  faithfulness  and  judgment. 

"What  were  his  orders?"  asked  Gooja  Singh. 
**Or  were  they  secret  orders  known  only  to  him  and 
thee?" 

"If  you  had  not  come,"  said  I,  "I  would  have  sent 
for  you  to  hear  the  orders.  When  he  wakes,"  I  added, 
"I  shall  tell  him  who  obeyed  the  swiftest." 

I  was  thinking  still.  Thinking  furiously.  I  knew 
nothing  at  all  yet  about  Abraham,  and  that  was  good, 
for  otherwise  I  might  have  decided  to  wait  there  for 
him  to  overtake  us. 

"Have  the  men  finished  eating?"  I  asked,  and  he 
answered  he  was  come  because  they  had  finished 
eating. 


180  HIRA  SINGH 

"Then  the  order  is  to  proceed  at  once!"  said  I. 
"Send  a  cart  here  under  the  rock  and  eight  good  men, 
that  we  may  lower  our  sahib  into  it.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  that  one  cart  let  the  column  proceed  in  the 
same  order  as  before,  the  Turk  and  his  men  leading." 

"Leading  whither?"  asked  Gooja  Singh. 

"Let  us  hope,"  said  I,  "to  a  place  where  orders  are 
obeyed  in  military  manner  without  question!  Have 
you  heard  the  order?"  I  asked,  and  I  made  as  if  to 
go  and  wake  our  officer. 

Without  another  word  Gooja  Singh  climbed  down 
from  the  rock  and  went  about  shouting  his  com- 
mands as  if  he  himself  were  their  originator.  Mean- 
while I  thought  busily,  with  an  eye  for  the  wide  hori- 
zon, wondering  whether  we  were  being  pursued,  or 
whether  telegrams  had  not  perhaps  been  sent  to  places 
far  ahead,  ordering  Turkish  iregiments  to  form  a  cor- 
don and  cut  us  off.  I  wondered  more  than  ever  who 
Wassmuss  might  be,  and  whether  Ranjoor  Singh  had 
had  at  any  time  the  least  idea  of  our  eventual  destina- 
tion. I  had  no  idea  which  direction  to  take.  There 
was  no  track  I  could  see,  except  that  made  by  our 
own  cart-wheels.  On  what  did  I  base  my  decision, 
then?    I  will  tell  you,  sahib. 

I  saw  that  not  only  Ranjoor  Singh's  horse,  but  all 
the  cattle  had  been  given  liberal  amounts  of  corn.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  unless  he  intended  to  continue  by 
forced  marches  Ranjoor  Singh  would  have  begun  by 
economizing  food.  Moreover,  I  judged  that  if  he  had 
intended  resting  many  hours  in  that  spot  he  would 
have  had  me  summoned  and  have  gone  to  sleep  him- 
self.    The  very  fact  that  he  had  let  me  sleep  on 


HIRA  SINGH  181 

seemed  to  me  proof  that  he  intended  going  forward. 
Doubtless,  he  would  depend  on  me  to  stand  guard 
during  the  night.  So  I  reasoned  it.  And  I  also 
thought  it  probable  he  had  told  the  Turk  in  which  di- 
rection to  lead,  seeing  that  the  Turk  doubtless  knew 
more  of  that  countryside  than  any.  Ahead  of  us  was 
all  Asia  and  behind  us  was  the  sea.  Who  was  I  that 
I  should  know  the  way?  But  by  telling  the  Turk  to 
lead  on,  I  could  impose  on  him  responsibility  for  pos- 
sible error,  and  myself  gain  more  time  to  think.  And 
for  that  decision,  too,  Ranjoor  Singh  saw  fit  to  praise 
me  later. 

They  brought  the  cart,  and  with  the  help  of  eight 
men,  I  laid  Ranjoor  Singh  very  comfortably  on  the 
corn,  and  covered  him.  Then  I  bade  those  eight  be 
bodyguard,  letting  none  approach  too  close  on  pain 
of  violence,  saying  that  Ranjoor  Singh  needed  a  long 
deep  sleep  to  restore  his  energy.  Also,  I  bade  them 
keep  that  cart  at  the  rear  of  the  column,  and  I  myself 
chose  the  rear  place  of  all  so  as  to  keep  control,  pre- 
vent straggling,  and  watch  against  pursuit. 

Pursued  ?  Nay,  sahib.  Not  at  that  time.  Never- 
theless, that  thought  of  mine,  to  choose  the  last  place, 
was  the  very  gift  of  God.  We  had  been  traveling 
about  three  parts  of  an  hour  when  I  perceived  a  very 
long  way  off  the  head  of  a  camel  caravan  advancing 
at  swift  pace  toward  us — or  almost  toward  us.  It 
seemed  to  me  to  be  coming  from  Angora.  And  it  so 
happened  that  at  the  moment  when  I  saw  it  first 
the  front  half  of  our  column  had  already  dipped  be- 
yond a  rise  and  was  descending  a  rather  gentle  slope. 

I  hurried  the  tail  of  the  column  over  the  rise  by 


182  HIRA  SINGH 

twisting  it,  as  a  man  twists  bullocks'  tails.  And  then 
I  bade  the  whole  line  halt  and  lie  down,  except  those 
in  charge  of  horses;  them  I  ordered  into  the  shelter 
of  some  trees,  and  the  carts  I  hurried  behind  a  low 
ridge — all  except  Ranjoor  Singh's  cart;  that  I  or- 
dered backed  into  a  hollow  near  me.  So  we  were  in- 
visible unless  the  camels  should  approach  too  close. 

The  Turks  and  Tugendheim  I  saw  placed  in  the 
midst  of  all  the  other  unmounted  men,  and  ordered 
them  guarded  like  felons ;  and  I  bade  those  in  charge 
of  mules  and  horses  stand  by,  ready  to  muzzle  their 
beasts  with  coats  or  what-not,  to  prevent  neighing  and 
braying.  Then  I  returned  to  the  top  of  the  rise  and 
lay  down,  praying  to  God,  with  a  trooper  beside  me 
who  might  run  and  try  to  shake  Ranjoor  Singh  back 
to  life  in  case  of  direst  need. 

I  lay  and  heard  my  heart  beat  like  a  drum  against 
the  ground,  praying  one  moment,  and  with  the  next 
breath  cursing  some  hoof -beat  from  behind  me  and 
the  muffled  reprimand  that  was  certain  to  follow  it. 
The  men  were  as  afraid  as  I,  and  the  thing  I  feared 
most  of  all  was  panic.  Yet  what  more  could  I  do 
than  I  had  done?  I  lay  and  watched  the  camels,  and 
every  step  that  brought  them  nearer  felt  like  a  link  in 
a  chain  that  bound  us  all. 

One  thing  became  perfectly  evident  before  long. 
There  were  not  more  than  two  hundred  camels, 
therefore  in  a  fight  we  should  be  able  to  beat  them  off 
easily.  But  unless  we  could  ambuscade  them  (and 
there  was  no  time  to  prepare  that  now)  it  would  be 
impossible  to  kill  or  capture  them  all.  Some  would 
get  away  and  those  would  carry  the  alarm  to  the 


HIRA  SINGH  183 

nearest  military  post.  Then  gone  would  be  all  hope 
for  us  of  evading  capture  or  destruction.  But  it  was 
also  obvious  to  me  that  no  such  caravan  would  come 
straight  on  toward  us  at  such  speed  if  it  knew  of  our 
existence  or  our  whereabouts.  They  expected  us  as 
little  as  we  expected  them. 

So  I  lay  still,  trembling,  wondering  what  Ranjoor 
Singh  would  say  to  me,  supposing  he  did  not  die  in 
the  cart  there — wondering  what  the  matter  might  be 
with  Ranjoor  Singh — wondering  what  I  should  do 
supposing  he  did  die  and  we  escaped  from  this  present 
predicament.  I  knew  there  was  little  hope  of  my 
maintaining  discipline  without  Ranjoor  Singh's  aid. 
And  I  had  not  the  least  notion  whither  to  lead,  unless 
toward  Russia. 

Such  thoughts  made  me  physically  sick,  so  that  it 
was  relief  to  turn  away  from  them  and  watch  the 
oncoming  caravan,  especially  as  I  began  to  suspect 
it  would  not  come  within  a  mile  of  us.  Presently  I 
began  to  be  certain  that  it  would  cross  our  track 
rather  less  than  a  mile  away.  I  began  to  whisper  to 
myself  excitedly.    Then  at  last  "Yes  1"  said  I,  aloud. 

"Yes !"  said  a  voice  beside  me,  and  I  nearly  jumped 
out  of  my  skin,  **unless  they  suspect  the  track  of  our 
cart-wheels  and  follow  It  up,  we  are  all  right !" 

I  looked  round  into  the  eyes  of  Ranjoor  Singh, 
and  felt  my  whole  skin  creep  like  a  snake's  at  slough- 
ing time ! 

"Sahib!"  said  I. 

"You  have  done  well  enough,"  said  he,  "except 
that  if  attacked  you  would  have  hard  work  to  gather 
your  forces  and  control  them.    But  never  mind,  you 


184  HIRA  SINGH 

did  quite  well  enough  for  this  first  time  1"  said  Ranjoor 
Singh. 

''Sahib !"  I  said.  "But  I  thought  you  were  in  a 
cart,  dying!" 

"In  a  cart,  yes!"  he  said.  "Dying,  no — although 
that  was  no  fault  of  somebody's!" 

I  begged  him  to  explain,  and  while  we  watched 
the  camels  cross  our  track — (God  knows,  sahib,  why 
they  did  not  grow  suspicious  and  follow  along  it) — 
he  told  me  how  he  had  sat  on  the  great  rock,  not  very 
sleepy,  but  thinking,  chin  on  knee,  when  suddenly 
some  man  crawled  up  from  behind  and  struck  him  a 
heavy  blow. 

"Feel  my  head,"  said  he,  and  I  felt  under  his  tur- 
ban. There  was  a  bruise  the  size  of  my  folded  fist. 
I  swore— as  who  would  not?  "Is  it  deep?"  I  said, 
still  watching  the  camels,  and  before  he  answered  me 
he  sent  the  trooper  to  go  and  find  his  horse. 

"Superficial,"  he  said  then.  "By  the  favor  of  God 
but  a  water  bruise.  My  head  must  have  yielded  be- 
neath the  blow." 

"Who  struck  it?"  said  I,  scarcely  thinking  what  I 
said,  for  my  mind  was  full  of  the  camels,  now  flank 
toward  us,  that  would  have  served  our  purpose  like 
the  gift  of  God  could  we  only  have  contrived  to  cap- 
ture them. 

"How  should  I  know?"  he  answered.  "See — ^they 
pass  within  a  half-mile  of  where  I  sat.  Is  not  that 
the  rock  ?"    And  I  said  yes. 

"Had  you  lingered  there,"  he  said,  "word  about 
.us  would  have  gone  back  to  Angora  at  top  camel 
speed.    What  possessed  you  to  come  away?" 


HIRA  SINGH  185 

"God !"  said  I,  and  he  nodded,  so  tHat  I  began  to 
preen  myself.     He  noticed  my  gathering  self-esteem. 

"Nevertheless,"  he  said,  aloud,  but  as  if  talking 
to  himself,  yet  careful  that  I  should  hear,  "had  this 
not  happened  to  me  I  should  have  seen  those  camels 
on  the  sky-line.    Did  you  count  the  camels  ?" 

"Two  hundred  and  eight,"  said  I. 

"How  many  armed  men  with  them?"  he  asked. 
"My  eyes  are  yet  dim  from  the  blow." 

"One  hundred  and  four,"  said  I,  "and  an  officer 
or  two." 

He  nodded.  "The  prisoners  would  have  been  a 
nuisance,"  he  said,  "yet  we  might  have  used  them 
later.  What  with  camels'  and  what  with  horses — and 
there  is  a  good  spot  for  an  ambuscade  through  which 
they  must  pass  presently — I  went  and  surveyed  it 
while  they  cooked  my  dinner — ^never  mind,  never 
mind !"  said  he.  "If  you  had  made  a  mistake  it  would 
have  been  disastrous.  Yet — ^two  hundred  and  eight 
camels  would  have  been  an  acquisition — s,  great  ac- 
quisition !" 

So  my  self-esteem  departed — ^like  water  from  a 
leaky  goatskin,  and  I  lay  beside  him  watching  the  last 
dozen  camels  cross  our  trail,  the  nose  of  one  tied  to 
the  tail  of  another,  one  man  to  every  two.  I  lay  con- 
jecturing what  might  have  been  our  fate  had  I  had 
cunning  enough  to  capture  that  whole  caravan,  and 
not  another  word  was  spoken  between  us  until  the 
last  two  camels  disappeared  beyond  a  ridge.    Then : 

"Was  there  any  man  close  by,  when  you  found 
me?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Nay,  sahib,"  said  I. 


186  HIRA  SINGH 

"Was  there  any  man  whose  actions,  or  whose 
words,  gave  ground  for  suspicion  ?"  he  asked. 

"Nay,  sahib,"  I  began;  but  I  checked  myself,  and 
he  noticed  it. 

"Except—?"  said  he. 

"Except  that  when  Gooja  Singh  came,"  I  said,  "he 
seemed  unwilHng  to  believe  you  were  asleep." 

"How  long  was  it  before  Gooja  Singh  came?"  he 
asked. 

"He  came  almost  before  I  had  laid  you  under  the 
tree  and  covered  you,"  said  I. 

"And  you  told  him  I  was  asleep?"  he  said. 

"Yes,"  said  I;  and  at  that  he  laughed  silently,  al- 
though I  could  tell  well  enough  that  his  head  ached, 
and  merriment  must  have  been  a  long  way  from  him. 

"Has  Gooja  Singh  any  very  firm  friend  with  us?" 
he  asked,  and  I  answered  I  did  not  know  of  one. 
"The  ammunition  bearers  who  were  his  friends  now 
curse  him  to  his  face,"  I  said. 

"Then  he  would  have  to  do  his  own  dirty  work  ?" 
said  he. 

"He  has  to  clean  his  own  rifle,"  I  answered.  And 
Ranjoor  Singh  nodded. 

Then  suddenly  his  meaning  dawned  on  me.  "You 
think  it  was  Gooja  Singh  who  struck  the  blow?"  I 
asked.  We  were  sitting  up  by  that  time.  The  camels 
were  out  of  sight.  He  rose  to  his  feet  and  beckoned 
for  his  horse  before  he  answered. 

"I  wished  to  know  who  else  might  properly  be 
suspected,"  he  said,  taking  his  horse's  bridle.  So  I 
beckoned  for  my  horse,  and  ordering  the  cart  in  which 
he  had  lain  to  be  brought  along  after  us,  I  rode  at  a 


HIRA  SINGH  187 

walk  beside  him  to  where  our  infantry  were  left  in 
hiding. 

"Sahib,"  I  said,  "it  is  better  after  all  to  shoot  this 
Gooja  Singh.  Shoot  him  on  suspicion!"  I  urged. 
"He  makes  only  trouble  and  ill-will.  He  puts  false 
construction  on  every  word  you  or  I  utter.  He  mis- 
leads the  men.  And  now  you  suspect  him  of  having 
tried  to  kill  you!  Bid  me  shoot  him,  sahib,  and  I 
obey!" 

"Who  says  I  suspect  him?"  he  answered.  "Nay, 
nay,  nay!  I  will  have  no  murder  done — no  drum- 
head tyranny,  fathered  by  the  lees  of  fear!  Let  Gooja 
Singh  alone!" 

"Does  your  head  not  ache?*'  I  asked  him. 

"More  than  you  guess!"  said  he.  "But  my  heart 
does  not  ache.  Two  aches  would  be  worse  than  one. 
Come  silently!" 

So  I  rode  beside  him  silently,  and  making  a  circuit 
and  signaling  to  the  watchers  not  to  betray  our  pres- 
ence, we  came  on  our  hiding  infantry  unsuspected  by 
them.  We  dismounted,  and  going  close  on  foot  were 
almost  among  them  before  they  knew.  Gooja  Singh 
was  on  his  feet  in  their  midst,  giving  them  informa- 
tion and  advice. 

"I  tell  you  Ranjoor  Singh  is  dead!"  said  he. 
"Hira  Singh  swears  he  is  only  asleep,  but  Hira  Singh 
lies!  Ranjoor  Singh  lies  dead  on  top  of  the  com  in 
the  cart  in  yonder  gully,  and  Hira  Singh — " 

I  know  not  what  more  he  would  have  said,  but 
Ranjoor  Singh  stopped  him.  He  stepped  forward, 
smiling. 

"Ranjoor  Singh,  as  you  see,  is  alive,"  he  said,  "and 


188  HIRA  SINGH 

if  I  am  dead,  then  I  must  be  the  ghost  of  Ranjoor 
Singh  come  among  you  to  enforce  his  orders !  Rise !" 
he  ordered.  "Rise  and  fall  in!  Havildars,  make  all 
ready  to  resume  the  march  I" 

"Shoot  him,  sahib!"  I  urged,  taking  out  my 
pistol,  that  had  once  been  Tugendheim's.  "Shoot  him, 
or  let  me  do  it !" 

"Nay,  nay!"  he  said,  laughing  in  my  face,  though 
not  unkindly.    "I  am  not  afraid  of  him." 

"But  I,  sahib,"  I  said.     "I  fear  him  greatly!" 

"Yet  thou  and  I  be  two  men,  and  I  command,"  he 
answered  gently.    "Let  Gooja  Singh  alone." 

So  I  went  and  grew  very  busy  ordering  the  col- 
umn. In  twenty  minutes  we  were  under  way,  with 
a  screen  of  horsemen  several  hundred  yards  ahead 
and  another  little  mounted  rear-guard.  But  when  the 
order  had  been  given  to  resume  the  march  and  the 
carts  were  squeaking  along  in  single  file,  I  rode  to  his 
side  again  with  a  question.  I  had  been  thinking 
deeply,  and  it  seemed  to  me  I  had  the  only  answer 
to  my  thoughts. 

"Tell  me,  sahib,"  I  said,  "our  nearest  friends  must 
be  the  Russians.  How  many  hundred  miles  is  it  to 
Russia?" 

But  he  shook  his  head  and  laughed  again.  "Be- 
tween us  and  Russia  lies  the  strongest  of  all  the  Turk- 
ish armies,"  he  said.    "We  could  never  get  through." 

"I  am  a  true  man!"  I  said.  "Tell  me  the  plan!'* 
But  he  only  nodded,  and  rode  on. 

"God  loves  all  true  men,"  said  he. 


CHAPTER  VI 

Where  the  weakest  joint  is,  smite. — Ranjoor 
Singh. 

Well,  sahib,  Abraham  caught  up  with  us  on  the 
evening  of  the  third  day  after  leaving  with  that  letter 
to  the  Germans  in  Angora,  having  ridden  moderately 
to  spare  his  horse.  He  said  there  were  only  two  Ger- 
man officers  there  when  he  reached  the  place,  and 
they  seemed  worried.  They  gave  him  the  new  saddle 
asked  for,  and  a  new  horse  under  it;  also  a  letter  to 
carry  back.  Ranjoor  Singh  gave  me  the  horse  and 
saddle,  letting  Abraham  take  my  sorry  beast,  that  was 
beginning  to  recover  somewhat  under  better  treat- 
ment. 

Ranjoor  Singh  smiled  grimly  as  he  read  the  letter. 
He  translated  parts  of  it  to  me — mainly  complaints 
about  lack  of  this  and  that  and  the  other  thing,  and 
very  grave  complaints  against  the  Turks,  who,  it 
seemed,  would  not  cooperate.  You  would  say  that 
was  good  news  to  all  of  us,  that  should  have  inspired 
us  with  new  spirit.  But  as  I  said  in  the  beginning, 
sahib,  there  are  reasons  why  the  British  must  rule 
India  yet  a  while.  We  Sikhs,  who  would  rule  it  other- 
wise, are  all  divided. 

We  were  seven  non-commissioned  officers.  If  we 
seven  had  stood  united  behind  Ranjoor  Singh  there 
was  nothing  we  could  not  have  done,  for  the  men 
would  then  have  had  no  example  of  disunity.    You 

189 


190  HIRA  SINGH 

may  say  that  Ranjoor  Singh  was  our  rightful  officer 
and  we  had  only  to  obey  him,  but  I  tell  you,  sahib, 
obedience  that  is  worth  anything  must  come  from  the 
heart  and  understanding.  Ranjoor  Singh  was  as 
much  dependent  on  good- will  as  if  we  had  had  the 
choosing  of  him.  So  he  had  to  create  it,  and  that 
which  has  once  been  lost,  for  whatever  reason,  is 
doubly  and  redoubly  hard  to  make  again.  He  did  what 
he  did  in  spite  of  us,  although  I  tried  to  help. 

Of  us  seven,  first  in  seniority  came  I;  and  as  I 
have  tried  already  to  make  clear  I  was  Ranjoor 
Singh's  man  (not  that  he  believed  it  altogether  yet). 
If  he  had  ordered  me  to  make  black  white,  I  would 
have  perished  in  the  effort  to  obey;  but  I  had  yet  to 
prove  that. 

Next  in  order  to  me  was  Gooja  Singh,  and  al- 
though I  have  spared  the  regiment's  shame  as  much 
as  possible,  I  doubt  not  that  man's  spirit  has  crept  out 
here  and  there  between  my  words — ^as  a  smell  creeps 
from  under  coverings.  He  hated  me,  being  jealous. 
He  hated  Ranjoor  Singh,  because  of  merited  rebuke 
and  punishment.  He  was  all  for  himself,  and  if  one 
said  one  thing,  he  must  say  another,  lest  the  first  man 
get  too  much  credit.  Furthermore,  he  was  a  had- 
mash*  born  of  a  money-lender's  niece  to  a  man  mean 
enough  to  marry  such.  Other  true  charges  I  could 
lay  against  him,  but  my  tale  is  of  Ranjoor  Singh  and 
why  should  I  sully  it  with  mean  accounts;  Gooja 
Singh  must  trespass  in  among  it,  but  let  that  be  all. 

Third  of  us  daffadars  in  order  of  seniority  was 

*  Low  ruffian. 


HIRA  SINGH  191 

Anim  Singh,  a  big  man,  born  in  the  village  next  my 
father's.  He  was  a  naik  in  the  Tirah  in  '97  when  he 
came  to  the  rescue  of  an  officer,  splitting  the  skull  of 
an  Orakzai,  wounding  three  others,  and  making  pris- 
oner a  fourth  who  sought  to  interfere.  Thus  he  won 
promotion,  and  he  held  it  after  somewhat  the  same 
manner.  A  blunt  man.  A  fairly  good  man.  A  very 
good  man  with  the  saber.  A  gambler,  it  is  true — ^but 
whose  affair  is  that?  A  ready  eye  for  rustling  cur- 
tains and  footholds  near  open  windows,  but  that  is 
his  affair  again — until  the  woman's  husband  inter- 
venes. And  they  say  he  can  look  after  himself  in 
such  cases.  At  least,  he  lives.  Behold  him,  sahib. 
Aye,  that  is  he  yonder,  swaggering  as  if  India  can 
scarcely  hold  him — that  one  with  his  arm  in  a  sling. 
A  Sikh,  sahib,  with  a  soldier's  heart  and  ears  too  big 
for  his  head — excellent  things  on  outpost,  where  the 
little  noises  often  mean  so  much,  but  all  too  easy  for 
Gooja  Singh  to  whisper  into. 

Of  the  other  four,  the  next  was  Ramnarain  Singh, 
the  shortest  as  to  inches  of  us  all,  but  perhaps  the 
most  active  on  his  feet.  A  man  with  a  great  wealth 
of  beard  and  too  much  dignity  due  to  hjs  father's 
thalukdari."^  His  father  pockets  the  rent  of  three  fat 
villages,  so  the  son  believes  himself  a  wisehead.  A 
great  talker.  Brave  in  battle,  as  one  must  be  to  be 
daffadar  of  Outram's  Own,  but  too  assertive  of  his 
Own  opinion.  He  and  Gooja  Singh  were  ever  at  outs, 
resentful  of  each  other's  claim  to  wisdom. 

Next  was  Chatar  Singh,  like  me,  son  and  grandson 


*  Landed  estate. 


192  HIRA  SINGH 

of  a  soldier  of  the  raj — a  bold  man,  something  heavy 
on  his  horse,  but  able  to  sever  a  sheep  in  two  with  one 
blow  of  his  saber — very  well  regarded  by  the  troop- 
ers because  of  physical  strength  and  willingness  to 
overlook  offenses.  Chatar  Singh's  chief  weakness 
was  respect  for  cunning.  Having  only  a  great  bull's 
heart  in  him  and  ability  to  go  forward  and  endure, 
he  regarded  cunning  as  very  admirable ;  and  so  Gooja 
Singh  had  one  daffadar  to  work  on  from  the  outset 
(although  I  did  what  I  could  to  make  trouble  between 
them). 

The  remaining  two  non-commissioned  officers 
were  naiks — corporals,  as  you  would  say — Suratb 
Singh  and  Mirath  Singh,  both  rather  recently  pro- 
moted from  the  ranks  and  therefore  likely  to  see  both 
sides  to  a  question  (whereas  a  naik  should  rightly 
see  but  one).  Very  early  I  had  taken  those  two  naiks 
in  hand,  showing  them  friendship,  harping  on  the 
honor  and  pleasure  of  being  daffadar  and  on  the 
chance  of  quick  promotion. 

Given  a  British  commanding  officer — just  one 
British  officer — even  a  little  young  one — one  would 
have  been  enough — it  would  have  been  hard  to  find 
better  backing  for  him.  Even  Gooja  Singh  would 
scarcely  have  failed  a  British  leader.  But  not  only 
was  the  feeling  still  strong  against  Ranjoor  Singh; 
there  was  another  cloud  in  the  sky.  Did  the  sahib 
ever  lay  his  hands  on  loot?  No?  Ah!  Love  of  that 
runs  in  the  blood,  and  crops  out  generation  after 
generation ! 

Until  the  British  came  and  overthrew  our  Sikh 
kingdom — and  that  was  not  long  ago — loot  was  the 


HIRA  SINGH  193 

staff  of  life  of  all  Sikh  armies.  In  those  days  when 
an  army  needed  pay  there  was  a  war.  Now,  except 
for  one  month's  pay  that,  as  I  have  told,  the  Germans 
had  given  us,  we  had  seen  no  money  since  the  day 
when  we  surrendered  in  that  Flanders  trench;  and 
what  the  Germans  gave  us  Ranjoor  Singh  took  away, 
in  order  to  bribe  the  captain  of  a  Turkish  ship.  And 
Gooja  Singh  swore  morning,  noon  and  night  that  as 
prisoners  of  war  we  should  not  be  entitled  to  pay 
from  the  British  in  any  event,  even  supposing  we 
could  ever  contrive  to  find  the  British  and  rejoin 
them. 

"Let  us  loot,  then,  and  pay  ourselves!"  was  the 
unanimous  verdict,  I  being  about  the  only  one  who 
did  not  voice  it.  I  claim  no  credit.  I  saw  no  loot, 
so  what  was  the  use  of  talking?  We  were  crossing 
a  desert  where  a  crow  could  have  found  small  plun- 
der. But  being  by  common  consent  official  go-between 
I  rode  to  Ranjoor  Singh's  side  and  told  him  what  the 
men  were  saying. 

"Aye,"  he  nodded,  not  so  much  as  looking  side- 
wise,  "any  one  would  know  they  are  saying  that. 
What  say  the  Turk  and  Tugendheim?" 

"Loot,  too!"  said  I,  and  he  grunted. 

It  was  this  way,  sahib.  Our  Turkish  officer  pris- 
oner was  always  put  with  his  forty  men  to  march  in 
front — behind  our  advance  guard  but  in  front  of  the 
carts  and  infantry.  Thus  there  was  no  risk  of  his 
escaping,  because  for  one  thing  he  had  no  saddle  and 
rode  with  much  discomfort  and  so  unsafely  that  he 
preferred  to  march  on  foot  more  often  than  not ;  and 
for  another,  that  arrangement  left  him  never  out  of 


194  HIRA  SINGH 

sight  of  nearly  all  of  us.  One  of  us  daffadars  would 
generally  march  beside  him,  and  some  of  the  Syrian 
muleteers  had  learned  English  either  in  TJ'^ypt  or  the 
Levant  ports,  so  that  there  was  no  lack  of  inter- 
preters. I  myself  have  marched  beside  the  Turk  for 
miles  and  miles  on  end,  with  Abraham  translating 
for  us. 

"Why  not  loot?  Who  can  prevent  you?  Who 
shall  call  you  to  account?"  was  the  burden  of  the 
Turk's  song. 

And  Tugendheim,  who  spoke  our  tongue  fluently, 
marched  as  a  rule  among  the  men,  or  rode  with  the 
mounted  men,  watched  day  and  night  by  the  four 
troopers  who  had  charge  of  him — ^better  mounted 
than  he,  and  very  mindful  of  their  honor  in  the  mat- 
ter. He  made  himself  as  agreeable  as  he  could,  tell- 
ing tales  about  his  life  in  India — ^not  proper  tales  to 
tell  to  a  sahib,  but  such  as  to  make  the  troopers  laugh  ; 
so  that  finally  the  things  he  said  began  to  carry  the 
weight  that  goes  with  friendliness.  He  soon  discov- 
ered what  the  feeling  was  toward  Ranjoor  Singh,  and 
somehow  or  other  he  found  out  what  the  Turk  was 
talking  about.  After  that  he  took  the  Turk's  cue 
(although  he  sincerely  despised  Turks)  and  began 
with  hint  and  jest  to  propagate  lust  for  loot  in  the 
men's  minds.  Partly,  I  think,  he  planned  to  enrich 
himself  and  buy  his  way  to  safety — (although  God 
knows  in  which  direction  he  thought  safety  lay!). 
Partly,  I  think,  he  hoped  to  bring  us  to  destruction, 
and  so  perhaps  offset  his  offense  of  having  yielded  to 
our  threats,  hoping  in  that  way  to  rehabilitate  himself. 
So  goes  a  lawyer  to  court,  sure  of  a  fee  if  his  client 


HIRA  SINGH  195 

wins,  yet  sure,  too,  of  a  fee  if  his  client  loses,  enjoy- 
ing profit  and  entertainment  in  any  event.  Yet  who 
shall  blame  Tugendheim?  Unlike  a  lawyer,  he  stood 
to  take  the  consequences  if  both  forks  of  the  stick 
should  fail.  I  told  Ranjoor  Singh  all  that  Tugend- 
heim and  the  Turk  were  saying  to  the  men,  and  his 
brow  darkened,  although  he  made  no  comment.  He 
did  not  trust  me  yet  any  more  than  he  felt  com- 
pelled to. 

"Send  Abraham  to  me,"  he  said  at  last.  So  I  went 
jand  sent  Abraham,  feeling  jealous  that  the  Syrian 
should  hear  what  I  might  not. 

Ranjoor  Singh  had  been  forcing  the  pace,  and  by 
the  time  I  speak  of  now  we  had  nearly  crossed  that 
desert,  for  a  rim  of  hills  was  in  front  of  us  and  all 
about.  It  was  not  true  desert,  such  as  we  have  in  our 
Punjab,  but  a  great  plain  already  showing  promise 
of  the  spring,  with  the  buds  of  countless  flowers  get- 
ting ready  to  burst  open;  when  we  lay  at  rest  it 
amused  us  to  pluck  them  and  try  to  determine  what 
they  would  look  like  when  their  time  should  come. 
And  besides  flowers  there  were  roots,  remarkably 
good  to  eat,  that  the  Syrians  called  "daughters  of 
thunder,"  saying  that  was  the  local  name.  Tugend- 
heim called  them  trufflfes.  A  litde  water  and  that 
desert  would  be  fertile  farm-land,  or  I  never  saw 
com  grow ! 

Ranjoor  Singh  conversed  with  Abraham  until  we 
centered  a  defile  between  the  hills;  and  that  night  we 
camped  in  a  little  valley  with  our  outposts  in  a  ring 
around  us,  Ranjoor  Singh  sitting  by  a  bright  fire  half- 
way up  the  side  of  a  slope  where  he  could  overlook 


196  HIRA  SINGH 

us  all  and  be  alone.  We  had  seen  mounted  men  two 
or  three  times  that  day,  they  mistaking  us  perhaps  for 
Turkish  troops,  for  they  vanished  after  the  first 
glimpse.  Nevertheless,  we  tethered  our  horses  close 
in  the  valley  bottom,  and  lay  around  them,  ready  for 
all  contingencies. 

I  remember  that  night  well,  for  it  was  the  first 
since  we  started  eastward  in  the  least  to  resemble  our 
Indian  nights.  It  made  us  feel  homesick,  and  some 
of  the  men  were  crooning  love-songs.  The  stars 
swung  low,  looking  as  if  a  man  could  almost  reach 
them,  and  the  smoke  of  our  fires  hung  sweet  on  the 
night  air.  I  was  listening  to  Abraham's  tales  about 
Turks — tales  to  make  a  man  bite  his  beard — ^when 
Ranjoor  Singh  called  me  in  a  voice  that  carried  far 
without  making  much  noise.  (I  have  never  known 
him  to  raise  his  voice  so  high  or  loud  that  it  lost  dig- 
nity.) *'Hira  Singh!"  he  called,  and  I  answered  "Ha, 
sahib!"  and  went  clambering  up  the  hill. 

He  let  me  stand  three  minutes,  reading  my  eyes 
through  the  darkness,  before  he  motioned  me  to  sit. 
So  then  we  sat  facing,  I  on  one  side  of  the  fire  and 
he  the  other.. 

"I  have  watched  you,  Hira  Singh,"  he  said  at  last. 
"Now  and  again  I  have  seemed  to  see  a  proper  spirit 
in  you.  Nay,  words  are  but  fragments  of  the  wind !" 
said  he.  (I  had  begun  to  make  him  protestations.) 
"There  are  words  tossing  back  and  forth  below,"  he 
said,  looking  past  me  down  into  the  hollow,  where 
shadows  of  men  were,  and  now  and  then  the  eye  of 
a  horse  would  glint  in  firelight.  Then  he  said  quietly, 
"The  spirit  of  a  Sikh  requires  deeds  of  us." 


HIRA  SINGH  197 

"Deeds  m  the  dark?"  said  I,  for  I  hoped  to  learn 
more  of  what  was  in  his  mind. 

"Should  a  Sikh's  heart  fail  him  in  the  dark?"  he 
asked. 

"Have  I  failed  you,"  said  I,  "since  you  came  to 
us  in  the  prison  camp?" 

"Who  am  I  ?"  said  he,  and  I  did  not  answer,  for  I 
wondered  what  he  meant.  He  said  no  more  for  a 
minute  or  cwo,  but  listened  to  our  pickets  calling  their 
numbers  one  to  another  in  the  dark  above  us. 

"If  you  serve  me,"  he  said  at  last,  "how  are  you 
better  than  the  stable-helper  in  cantonments  who 
groomed  my  horse  well  for  his  own  belly's  sake?  I 
can  give  you  a  full  belly,  but  your  honor  is  your  own. 
How  shall  I  know  your  heart?" 

I  thought  for  a  long  while,  looking  up  at  the  stars. 
He  was  not  impatient,  so  I  took  time  and  considered 
well,  understanding  him  now,  but  pained  that  he 
should  care  nothing  for  my  admiration. 

"Sahib,"  I  said  finally,  "by  this  oath  you  shall 
know  my  heart.  Should  I  ever  doubt  you,  I  will  tear 
out  your  heart  and  lay  it  on  a  dung-hill." 

"Good!"  said  he.  But  I  remember  he  made  me 
no  threat  in  return,  so  that  even  to  this  day  I  wonder 
how  my  words  sounded  in  his  ears.  I  am  left  won- 
dering whether  I  was  man  enough  to  dare  swear  such 
an  oath.  If  he  had  sworn  me  a  threat  in  return  I 
should  have  felt  more  at  ease — more  like  his  equal. 
But  who  would  have  gained  by  that?  My  heart  and 
my  belly  are  not  one.  Self-satisfaction  would  not 
have  helped. 

"Soon,"  he  said,  looking  into  my  eyes  beside  the 


198  HIRA  SINGH 

fire,  "we  shall  meet  opportunities  for  looting.  Yet 
we  have  food  enough  for  men  and  mules  and  horses 
for  many  a  day  to  come;  and  as  the  corn  grows  less 
more  men  can  ride  in  the  carts,  so  that  we  shall  move 
the  swifter.  But  now  this  map  of  mine  grows  vague 
and  our  road  leads  more  and  more  into  the  unknown. 
We  need  eyes  ahead  of  us.  I  can  control  the  men  if 
I  stay  with  them,  but  in  that  case  who  shall  ride  on 
and  procure  intelligence?" 

In  a  flash  I  saw  his  meaning.  There  was  none  but 
he  wise  enough  to  ride  ahead.  But  who  else  could 
control  the  men — men  who  believed  they  had  sloughed 
the  regiment's  honor  in  a  Flanders  trench  and  a  Ger- 
man prison  camp?  They  were  sloughing  their  per- 
sonal honor  that  minute,  fraternizing  with  Turkish 
prisoners.  With  their  sense  of  honor  gone,  could 
even  Ranjoor  Singh  control  them?  Perhaps!  But 
if  Ranjoor  Singh  rode  forward,  who  should  stay  be- 
hind and  stand  in  his  shoes? 

I  looked  at  the  stars,  that  had  the  color  of  jewels 
in  them.  I  listened  to  the  night  birds.  I  heard  the 
wind  soughing — the  mules  and  horses  stamping — ^the 
murmur  of  men's  voices.  My  tongue  itched  to  say 
some  foolish  word,  that  would  have  proved  me  un- 
fit to  be  trusted  out  of  sight.  But  the  thought  came 
to  me  to  be  still  and  listen.  And  still  I  remained  until 
he  began  again. 

"If  I  told  the  men  what  the  true  position  is  they 
would  grow  desperate,"  he  said.  "They  would  be- 
lieve the  case  hopeless." 

"They  almost  believe  that  now!"  said  I. 


HIRA  SINGH  199 

"Have  the  Turk  and  Tugendhcim  been  kept  apart  ?" 
said  he. 

"Aye/*  I  answered.  "They  have  not  had  ten 
words  together." 

"Good,"  said  he.  "Neither  Turk  nor  Tugendheim 
knows  the  whole  truth,  but  if  they  get  together  they 
might  concoct  a  very  plausible,  misleading  tale." 

"They  would  better  have  been  bound  and  gagged," 
said  I. 

"No,"  he  answered.  "If  I  had  bound  and  gagged 
them  it  would  have  established  sympathy  between 
them,  and  they  would  have  found  some  way  of  talk- 
ing nevertheless.  Kept  apart  and  let  talk,  the  Turk 
will  say  one  thing,  Tugendheim  another." 

"True,"  said  I.  "For  now  the  Turk  advises  plun- 
der to  right  and  left,  and  settlement  afterward  among 
Armenian  villages.  He  says  there  are  women  to  be 
had  for  the  taking.    'Be  a  new  nation!'  says  he." 

"And  what  says  Tugendheim?"  asked  Ranjoor 
Singh. 

"  Tlunder!'  "  said  I.  "  Tlunder  and  push  north- 
ward into  Russia!  The  Russians  will  welcome  you/ 
says  he,  'and  perhaps  accept  me  into  their  secret  serv- 
ice!— Plunder  the  Turks!'  says  Tugendheim.  Tlun- 
der the  Armenians !'  says  the  Turk." 

"I,  too,  would  be  all  for  Russia,"  he  answered, 
**but  it  isn't  possible.  The  coast  of  the  Black  Sea, 
and  from  the  Black  Sea  down  to  the  Persian  frontier, 
is  held  by  a  very  great  Turkish  army.  The  main  cara- 
van routes  lie  to  the  north  of  us,  and  every  inch  of 
them  is  watched." 


200  HIRA  SINGH 

"I  am  glad  then  that  it  must  be  Egypt,"  said  I.  "A 
long  march,  but  friends  at  the  other  end.  Who  but 
doubts  Russians?" 

He  shook  his  head.  "Syria  and  Palestine,"  he 
said,  "are  full  of  an  army  gathering  to  invade  Egypt. 
It  eats  up  the  land  like  locusts.  An  elephant  could 
inarch  easier  unseen  into  a  house  than  we  into  Syria !" 

"So  we  must  double  back?"  said  I.  "Good!  By 
now  they  must  have  ceased  looking  for  us,  supposing 
they  ever  thought  us  anything  but  drowned.  Some- 
where we  can  surely  find  a  ship  in  which  to  cross  to 
GanipoHI" 

He  laughed  and  shook  his  head  again.  "We 
slipped  through  the  one  unguarded  place,"  he  said. 
"If  we  had  come  one  day  later  that  place,  too,  would 
have  been  held  by  some  watchful  one,  instead  of  by 
the  fool  we  found  in  charge." 

Then  at  last  I  thought  surely  I  knew  what  his 
objective  must  me.  It  had  been  common  talk  in  Flan- 
ders how  an  expedition  marched  from  Basra  up  th? 
Tigris. 

"Bagdad!"  I  said.  "We  march  to  Bagdad  to  join 
the  British  there !    Bagdad  is  good !" 

But  he  answered,  "Bagdad  is  not  yet  taken — ^not 
yet  nearly  taken.  Between  us  and  Bagdad  lies  a 
Turkish  army  of  fifty  or  sixty  thousand  men  at  least." 

I  sat  silent.  I  can  draw  a  map  of  the  world  and 
set  the  rivers  and  cities  and  boundaries  down;  so  I 
knew  that  if  we  could  go  neither  north-  nor  south- 
nor  westward,  there  remained  only  eastward,  straight- 
forward into  Persia*  He  read  my  thoughts,  and 
nodded. 


HIRA  SINGH  201 

"Persia  Is  neutral,"  he  said,  with  a  wave  of  his 
hand  that  might  mean  anything.  "The  Turks  have 
spared  no  army  for  one  section  of  the  Persian  fron- 
tier, choosing  to  depend  on  savage  tribes.  And  the 
Germans  have  given  them  Wassmuss  to  help  out." 

"Ah !"  said  I,  making  ready  to  learn  at  last  who 
Wassmuss  might  be.  "When  we  have  found  this 
Wassmuss,  are  we  to  make  him  march  with  us  like 
Tugendheim  ?" 

"If  what  the  Germans  in  Stamboul  said  of  him  is 
only  half-true,"  he  answered,  "we  shall  find  him  hard 
to  catch.  Wassmuss  is  a  remarkable  man.  Before 
the  war  he  was  consul  in  Bagdad  or  somewhere,  and 
he  must  have  improved  his  time,  for  he  knows  enough 
now  to  keep  all  the  tribes  stirred  up  against  Russians 
and  British.  The  Germans  send  him  money,  and  he 
scatters  it  like  corn  among  the  hens ;  but  the  money 
would  be  little  use  without  brains.  The  Germans  ad- 
mire him  greatly,  and  he  certainly  seems  a  man  to  be 
wondered  at.  But  he  is  the  one  weak  point,  never- 
theless— the  only  key  that  can  open  a  door  for  us." 

"But  if  he  is  too  wary  to  be  caught?"  said  I. 

"Who  knows  ?"  he  answered  with  another  of  those 
short  gruff  laughs.  "But  I  know  this,"  said  he,  "that 
from  afar  hills  look  like  a  blank  wall,  yet  come  closer 
and  the  ends  of  valleys  open.  Moreover,  where  the 
weakest  joint  is,  smite!  So  I  shall  ride  ahead  and 
hunt  for  thdt  weakest  joint,  and  you  shall  shepherd 
the  men  along  behind  me.  Go  and  bring  Abraham 
and  the  Turk !" 

I  went  and  found  them.  Abraham  was  already 
asleep,  no  longer  wearing  the  Turkish  private  soldier's 


202  HIRA  SINGH 

uniform  but  his  own  old  clothes  again  (because,  the 
Turkish  soldier  having  done  nothing  meriting  pun- 
ishment, Ranjoor  Singh  had  ordered  him  his  uniform 
returned).  I  awoke  him  and  together  we  went  and 
found  the  Turk  sitting  between  a  Syrian  and  Gooja 
Singh;  and  although  I  did  not  overhear  one  word  of 
what  they  were  saying,  I  saw  that  Gooja  Singh  be- 
lieved I  had  been  listening.  It  seemed  good  to  me  to 
let  him  deceive  himself,  so  I  smiled  as  I  touched  the 
Turk's  shoulder. 

"Lo!  Here  is  our  second-in-command!"  sneered 
Gooja  Singh,  but  I  affected  not  to  notice. 

"Come!"  said  I,  showing  the  Turk  slight  cour- 
tesy, and,  getting  up  clumsily  like  a  buffalo  out  of  the 
mud,  he  followed  Abraham  and  me.  Some  of  the 
men  made  as  if  to  come,  too,  out  of  curiosity,  but 
Gooja  Singh  recalled  them  and  they  clustered  round 
him. 

When  I  had  brought  the  Turk  uphill  to  the  fire- 
side, Ranjoor  Singh  had  only  one  word  to  say  to  him. 

"Strip!"  he  ordered. 

Aye,  sahib!  There  and  then,  without  excuse  or 
explanation,  he  made  the  Turkish  officer  remove  his 
clothes  and  change  with  Abraham ;  and  I  never  saw  a 
man  more  unwilling  or  resentful !  Abraham  had  told 
me  all  about  Turkish  treatment  of  Syrians,  and  it  is 
the  way  of  the  world  that  men  most  despise  those 
whom  they  most  ill-treat.  So  that  although  Turks 
have  no  caste  distinctions  that  I  know  of,  that  one  felt 
like  a  high-caste  Brahman  ordered  to  change  gar- 
ments with  a  sweeper.  He  looked  as  if  he  would  in- 
finitely rather  die. 


HIRA  SINGH  203 

"Hurry!'*  Ranjoor  Singh  ordered  him  in  English. 

"Hurrietf*  said  the  Turk.  Hurriet  is  their  Turk- 
ish for  liberty.  All  the  troops  in  Stamboul  used  it 
constantly,  and  Ranjoor  Singh  told  me  it  means  much 
the  same  as  the  French  cry  of  "Liberty,  Equality,  Fra- 
ternity!'* The  Turk  seemed  bewildered,  and  opened 
his  eyes  wider  than  ever;  but  whatever  his  thoughts 
were  about  ''hurriet''  he  rightly  interpreted  the  look  in 
Ranjoor  Singh's  eye  and  obeyed,  grimacing  like  a 
monkey  as  he  drew  on  Abraham's  dirty  garments. 

"You  shall  wear  the  rags  of  a  driver  of  mules  if 
you  talk  any  more  about  loot  to  your  men  or  mine !" 
said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "If  I  proposed  to  loot,  I  would 
bury  you  for  a  beginning,  lest  there  be  nothing  for 
the  rest  of  us !" 

He  made  Abraham  translate  that  into  Turkish,  lest 
the  full  gist  of  it  be  lost,  and  I  sat  comparing  the 
two  men.  It  was  strange  to  see  what  a  change  the 
uniform  made  in  Abraham's  appearance — ^what  a 
change,  too,  came  over  the  Turk.  Had  I  not  known, 
I  could  never  have  guessed  the  positions  had  once 
been  reversed.  Abraham  looked  like  an  officer.  The 
Turk  looked  like  a  peasant.  He  was  a  big  up-stand- 
ing man,  although  with  pouches  under  his  eyes  that 
gave  the  lie  to  his  look  of  strength.  Now  for  the 
first  time  Ranjoor  Singh  set  a  picked  guard  over  him, 
calling  out  the  names  of  four  troopers  who  came  hur- 
rying uphill  through  the  dark. 

"Let  your  honor  and  this  man's  ward  be  one!" 
said  he,  and  they  answered  "Our  honor  be  it !" 

He  could  not  have  chosen  better  if  he  had  lined 
up  the  regiment  and  taken  half  a  day.     Those  four 


204  HIRA  SINGH 

were  troopers  whom  I  myself  had  singled  out  as  men 
to  be  depended  on  when  a  pinch  should  come,  and  I 
wondered  that  Ranjoor  Singh  should  so  surely  know 
them,  too. 

"Take  him  and  keep  him!"  he  ordered,  and  they 
went  off,  not  at  all  sorry  to  be  excused  from  other 
duties,  as  now  of  course  they  must  be.  Counting  the 
four  who  guarded  Tugendheim,  that  made  a  total  of 
eight  troopers  probably  incorruptible,  for  there  is 
nothing,  sahib,  that  can  compare  with  imposing  a 
trust  when  it  comes  to  making  sure  of  men's  good 
faith.  Hedge  them  about  with  precautions  and  they 
will  revolt  or  be  half-hearted;  impose  open  trust  in 
them,  and  if  they  be  well-chosen  they  will  die  true. 

"Now,"  said  he  to  me  when  they  were  out  of  hear- 
ing, "I  shall  take  with  me  one  daffadar,  one  naik,  and 
forty  mounted  men.  Sometimes  I  shall  take  Abra- 
ham, sometimes  Tugendheim,  sometimes  the  Turk. 
This  time  I  shall  take  the  Turk,  and  before  dawn  I 
shall  be  gone.  Let  it  be  known  that  the  best  behaved 
of  those  I  leave  with  you  shall  be  promoted  to  ride 
with  me — just  as  my  unworthy  ones  shall  be  degraded 
to  march  on  foot  with  you.    That  will  help  a  little." 

"Aye,"  said  I,  "a  little.  Which  daffadar  will  you 
take?    That  will  help  more!"  said  I. 

"Gooja  Singh,"  he  answered,  and  I  marveled. 

"Sahib,"  I  said,  "take  him  out  of  sight  and  bury 
his  body!  Make  an  end!"  I  urged.  "In  Flanders 
they  shot  men  against  a  wall  for  far  less  than  he  has 
talked  about!" 

"Flanders  is  one  place  and  this  another,"  he  an- 
swered.   "Should  I  make  those  good  men  more  dis- 


HIRA  SINGH  205 

trustful  than  they  are?  Should  I  shoot  Gooja  Singh 
unless  I  am  afraid  of  him?" 

I  said  no  more  because  I  knew  he  was  right.  If 
he  should  shoot  Gooja  Singh  the  troopers  would 
ascribe  it  to  nothing  else  than  fear.  A  British  officer 
might  do  it  and  they  would  say,  "Behold  how  he 
scorns  to  shirk  responsibility!"  Yet  of  Ranjoor  Singh 
they  would  have  said,  "He  fears  us,  and  behold  the 
butchery  begins!  Who  shall  be  next?"  Neverthe- 
less, had  I  stood  in  his  shoes,  I  would  have  shot  and 
buried  Gooja  Singh  to  forestall  trouble.  I  would 
have  shot  Gooja  Singh  and  the  Turk  and  Tugend- 
heim  all  three  with  one  volley.  And  the  Turk's 
forty  men  would  have  met  a  like  fate  at  the  first 
excuse.  But  that  is  because  I  was  afraid,  whereas 
Ranjoor  Singh  was  not.  I  greatly  feared  being 
left  behind  to  bring  the  men  along,  and  the  more 
I  thought  of  it,  the  worse  the  prospect  seemed; 
so  I  began  to  tell  of  things  I  had  heard  Gooja  Singh 
say  against  him,  and  which  of  the  men  I  had  heard 
and  seen  to  agree,  for  there  is  no  good  sense  in  a  man 
who  is  afraid. 

"Is  it  my  affair  to  take  vengeance  on  them,  or  to 
lead  them  into  safety?"  he  asked.  And  what  could 
I  answer? 

After  some  silence  he  spread  out  his  map  where 
firelight  shone  on  it  and  showed  Abraham  and  me 
where  the  Tigris  River  runs  by  Diarbekr.  "Thus,"  he 
said,  "we  must  go,"  pointing  with  his  finger,  "and 
thus — and  thus — ^by  Diarbekr,  down  by  the  Tigris,  by 
Mosul,  into  Kurdistan,  to  Sulimanieh,  and  thence  into 
Persia — a  very  long  march  through  very  wild  coun- 


206  HIRA  SINGH 

try.  Outside  the  cities  I  am  told  no  Turk  dare  show 
himself  with  less  than  four  hundred  men  at  his  back, 
so  we  will  keep  to  the  open.  If  the  Turks  mistake  us 
for  Turks,  the  better  for  us.  If  the  tribes  mistake  us 
for  Turks,  the  worse  for  us;  for  they  say  the  tribes 
hate  Turks  worse  than  smallpox.  If  they  think  we 
are  Turks  they  will  attack  us.    We  need  ride  warily." 

"It  would  take  more  Turks  than  there  are,"  I  said, 
"to  keep  our  ruffians  from  trying  to  plunder  the  first 
city  they  see !  And  as  for  tribes — they  are  in  a  mood 
to  join  with  any  one  who  will  help  make  trouble !" 

"Then  it  may  be,"  he  answered  quietly,  "that  they 
will  not  lack  exercise !  Follow  me  and  lend  a  hand  1" 
And  he  led  down  toward  the  camp-fires,  where  very 
few  men  slept  and  voices  rose  upward  like  the  noise 
of  a  quarrelsome  waterfall. 

Just  as  on  that  night  when  we  captured  the  carts 
and  Turks  and  Syrians,  he  now  used  the  cover  of 
darkness  to  reorganize ;  and  the  very  first  thing  he  did 
was  to  make  the  forty  Turkish  prisoners  change 
clothes  with  Syrians — the  Turks  objecting  with  much 
bad  language  and  the  Syrians  not  seeming  to  relish  it 
much,  for  fear,  I  suppose,  of  reprisals.  But  he  made 
the  Turks  hand  over  their  rifles,  as  well,  to  the  Sy- 
rians; and  then,  of  all  unlikely  people  he  chose  Tu- 
gendheim  to  command  the  Syrians  and  to  drill  them 
and  teach  them  discipline !  He  set  him  to  drilling  them 
there  and  then,  with  a  row  of  fires  to  see  by. 

In  the  flash  of  an  eye,  as  you  might  say,  we  had 
thus  fifty  extra  infantry,  ten  of  them  neither  uni- 
formed nor  armed  as  yet,  but  all  of  them  at  least  afraid 
to  run  away.    Tugendheim  looked  doubtful  for  a  min- 


HIRA  SINGH  207 

tLte,  but  he  was  given  his  choice  of  that,  or  death,  or 
of  wearing  a  Syrian's  cast-off  clothes  and  driving 
mules.  He  well  understood  (for  I  could  tell  by  his 
^manner  of  consenting)  that  Ranjoor  Singh  would 
send  him  into  action  against  the  first  Turks  we  could 
find,  thus  committing  him  to  further  treason  against 
the  Central  Powers;  but  he  had  gone  too  far  already 
to  turn  back. 

And  as  for  the  Syrians — they  had  had  a  lifetime's 
experience  of  Turkish  treatment,  and  had  recently 
been  taught  to  associate  Germans  with  Turks;  so  if 
Tugendheim  should  meditate  treachery  it  was  unlikely 
his  Syrians  would  join  him  in  it.  It  was  promotion 
to  a  new  life  for  them — occupation  for  Tugendheim, 
who  had  been  growing  bored  and  perhaps  dangerous 
on  that  account — and  not  so  dreadfully  distressing  to 
the  Turkish  soldiers,  who  could  now  ride  on  the  carts 
instead  of  marching  on  weary  feet.  They  had  utterly 
no  ambition,  those  Turkish  soldiers;  they  cared 
neither  for  their  officer  (which  was  small  wonder) 
nor  for  the  rifles  that  we  took  away,  which  surprised 
us  greatly  (for  in  the  absence  of  lance  or  saber,  we 
regarded  our  rifles  as  evidence  of  manhood).  They 
objected  to  the  dirty  garments  they  received  in  ex- 
change for  the  uniforms,  and  they  despised  us  Sikhs 
for  men  without  religion  (so  they  said!)  ;  but  it  did 
not  seem  to  trouble  them  whether  they  fought  on  one 
side  or  the  other,  or  whether  they  fought  at  all,  so 
long  as  they  had  cigarettes  and  food.  Yet  I  did  not 
receive  the  impression  they  were  cowards — brutes, 
perhaps,  but  not  cowards.  When  they  came  under 
"fire  later  on  they  made  no  effort  to  desert  with  the 


208  HIRA  SINGH 

carts  to  their  own  side;  and  when  we  asked  them 
why,  they  said  because  we  fed  them!  They  added 
they  had  not  been  paid  for  more  than  eighteen  months. 

Why  did  not  Ranjoor  Singh  make  this  arrange- 
ment sooner,  you  ask.  Why  did  he  wait  so  long,  and 
then  choose  the  night  of  all  times?  Not  all  thoughts 
are  instantaneous,  sahib ;  some  seem  to  develop  out  of 
patience  and  silence  and  attention.  Moreover,  it  takes 
time  for  captured  men  to  readjust  their  attitude — as 
the  Germans,  for  instance,  well  knew  when  they  gave 
us  time  for  thought  in  the  prison  camp  at  Oescher- 
leben.  When  we  first  took  the  Syrians  prisoner  they 
were  so  tired  and  timid  as  to  be  worthless  for  any- 
thing but  driving  carts,  whereas  now  we  had  fed  them 
and  befriended  them.  On  the  other  hand,  in  the  be- 
ginning, the  Turks,  if  given  a  chance,  would  have 
stampeded  with  the  carts  toward  Angora. 

Now  that  both  Turks  and  Syrians  had  grown  used 
to  being  prisoners  and  to  obeying  us,  they  were  less 
likely  to  think  independently — in  the  same  way  that 
a  new-caught  elephant  in  the  keddah  is  frenzied  and 
dangerous,  but  after  a  week  or  two  is  learning  tricks. 

And  as  for  choosing  the  night-time  for  the  change, 
every  soldier  knows  that  the  darkness  is  on  the  side 
of  him  whose  plans  are  laid.  He  who  is  taken  una- 
wares must  then  contend  with  both  ignorance  and 
darkness.  Thieves  prefer  the  dark.  Wolves  hunt  in 
the  dark.  Fishermen  fish  in  the  dark.  And  the  wise 
commander  who  would  change  his  dispositions  makes 
use  of  darkness,  too.  Men  who  might  disobey  by  day- 
light are  like  lambs  when  they  can  not  see  beyond  the 
light  a  camp-fire  throws. 


HIRA  SINGH  209 

But  such  things  are  mental,  sahib,  and  not  to  be 
explained  like  the  fire  of  heavy  guns  or  the  shock  tac- 
tics of  cavalry — although  not  one  atom  less  effective. 
If  Ranjoor  Singh  had  lined  up  the  men  and  argued 
with  them,  there  might  have  been  mutiny.  Instead, 
when  he  judged  the  second  ripe,  he  made  sudden  new 
dispositions  in  the  night  and  gave  them  something  else 
to  thmk  about  without  suggesting  to  their  minds  that 
he  might  be  worried  about  them  or  suspicious  of  them. 
On  the  contrary,  he  took  opportunity  to  praise  some 
individuals  and  distribute  merited  rewards. 

For  instance,  he  promoted  the  two  naiks,  Surath 
Singh  and  Mirath  Singh,  to  be  daffadars  on  proba- 
tion, to  their  very  great  surprise  and  absolute  con- 
tentment. The  four  who  guarded  Tugendheim  he 
raised  to  the  rank  of  naik,  bidding  them  help  Tugend- 
heim drill  the  Syrians  without  relaxing  vigilance  over 
him.  Then  he  chose  six  more  troopers  to  be  naiks. 
And  of  the  eighty  mounted  men  he  degraded  eighteen 
to  march  on  foot  again,  replacing  them  with  more 
obedient  ones.  Then  at  last  I  understood  why  he 
had  chosen  some  grumblers  to  ride  in  the  first  in- 
stance— simply  in  order  that  he  might  make  room  for 
promotion  of  others  at  the  proper  time,  offsetting 
discontent  with  emulation. 

Then  of  the  eighty  mounted  men  he  picked  the 
forty  best.  He  gave  Abraham's  saddle  to  Gooja 
Singh,  set  one  of  the  new  naiks  over  the  left  wing, 
and  Gooja  Singh  over  the  right  wing  of  the  forty, 
under  himself,  and  ordered  rations  for  three  days  to 
be  cooked  and  served  out  to  the  forty,  including  corn 
for  their  horses.    They  had  to  carry  it  all  in  the  knap- 


210  HIRA  SINGH 

sacks  on  their  own  backs,  since  no  one  of  them  yet 
had  saddles. 

Gooja  Singh  eyed  me  by  firelight  while  this  was 
going  on,  with  his  tongue  in  his  cheek,  as  much  as  to 
say  I  had  been  superseded  and  would  know  it  soon. 
When  I  affected  not  to  notice  he  said  aloud  in  my 
hearing  that  men  who  sat  on  both  sides  of  a  fence 
were  never  on  the  right  side  when  the  doings  happen. 
And  when  I  took  no  notice  of  that  he  asked  me  in  a 
very  loud  voice  whether  my  heart  quailed  at  the  pros- 
pect of  being  left  a  mile  or  two  behind.  But  I  let  him 
have  his  say.  Neither  he,  nor  any  of  the  men,  had 
the  slightest  idea  yet  of  Ranjoor  Singh's  real  plan. 

After  another  talk  with  me  Ranjoor  Singh  was  to 
horse  and  away  with  his  forty  an  hour  before  day- 
break, the  Turkish  officer  riding  bareback  in  Syrian 
clothes  between  the  four  who  had  been  set  to  guard 
him.  And  the  sound  of  the  departing  hooves  had 
scarcely  ceased  drumming  down  the  valley  when  the 
men  left  behind  with  me  began  to  put  me  to  a  test. 
Abraham  was  near  me,  and  I  saw  him  tremble  and 
change  color.  Sikh  troopers  are  not  little  baa-lambs, 
sahib,  to  be  driven  this  and  that  way  with  a  twig! 
Tugendheim,  too,  ready  to  preach  mutiny  and  plun- 
der, was  afraid  to  begin  lest  they  turn  and  tear  him 
first.  He  listened  with  both  ears,  and  watched  with 
both  eyes,  but  kept  among  his  Syrians. 

"Whither  has  he  gone  ?"  the  men  demanded,  gath- 
ering round  me  where  I  stooped  to  feel  my  horse's 
forelegs.  And  I  satisfied  myself  the  puffiness  was 
due  to  neither  splint  nor  ring-bone  before  I  answered. 
There  was  just  a  little  glimmer  of  the  false  dawn,  and 


HIRA  SINGH  211 

what  with  that  and  the  dying  fires  we  could  all  see 
well  enough.     I  could  see  trouble — out  of  both  eyes. 

"Whither  rides  Ranjoor  Singh?"  they  demanded. 

"Whither  we  follow !"  said  I,  binding  a  strip  from 
a  Syrian's  loin-cloth  round  the  horse's  leg.  (What 
use  had  the  Syrian  for  it  now  that  he  wore  uniform? 
And  it  served  the  horse  well.) 

A  trooper  took  me  by  the  shoulder  and  drew  me 
upright.  At  another  time  he  should  have  been  shot 
for  impudence,  but  I  had  learned  a  lesson  from  Ran- 
joor Singh  too  recently  to  let  temper  get  the  better 
of  me. 

"Thou  art  afraid!"  said  I.  "Thy  hand  on  my 
shoulder  trembles !" 

The  man  let  his  hand  fall  and  laughed  to  show 
himself  unafraid.  Before  he  could  think  of  an  an- 
swer, twenty  others  had  thrust  him  aside  and  con- 
fronted me. 

"Whither  rides  Ranjoor  Singh  ?  Whither  does  he 
ride  ?"  they  asked.    "Make  haste  and  tell  us  I" 

"Would  ye  bring  him  back?"  said  I,  wondering 
what  to  say.  Ranjoor  Singh  had  told  me  little  more 
than  that  we  were  drawing  near  the  neighborhood  of 
danger,  and  that  I  was  to  follow  warily  along  his 
track.  "God  will  put  true  thoughts  in  your  heart," 
he  told  me,  "if  you  are  a  true  man,  and  are  silent, 
and  listen."  His  words  were  true.  I  did  not  speak 
until  I  was  compelled.     Consider  the  sequel,  sahib. 

"Ye  have  talked  these  days  past,"  said  I,  "of  noth- 
ing but  loot — loot — ^loot !  Ye  have  lusted  like  wolves 
for  lowing  cattle!  Yet  now  ye  ask  me  whither  rides 
Ranjoor  Singh!    Whither  should  he  ride?    He  rides 


212  HIRA  SINGH 

to  find  bees  for  you  whose  stings  have  all  been  drawn, 
that  ye  may  suck  honey  without  harm!  He  rides  to 
find  you  victims  that  can  not  strike  back!  Sergeant 
Tugendheim,"  said  I,  "see  that  your  Syrians  do  not  fall 
over  one  another's  rifles !  March  in  front  with  them," 
I  ordered,  "that  we  may  all  see  how  well  you  drill 
them !  Fall  in,  all  V  said  I,  "and  he  who  wishes  to  be 
camp  guard  when  the  looting  begins,  let  him  be  slow 
about  obeying!" 

Well,  sahib,  some  laughed  and  some  did  not.  The 
most  dangerous  said  nothing.  But  they  all  obeyed, 
and  that  was  the  main  thing.  Not  more  than  an  hour 
and  a  half  after  Ranjoor  Singh  had  ridden  off  our 
carts  were  squeaking  and  bumping  along  behind  us. 
And  within  an  hour  after  that  we  were  in  action! 
Aye,  sahib,  I  should  say  it  was  less  than  an  hour  after 
the  start  when  I  halted  to  serve  out  ten  cartridges 
apiece  to  the  Syrians,  that  Tugendheim  might  blood 
them  and  get  himself  into  deeper  water  at  the  same 
time.  He  was  angry  that  I  would  not  give  him  more 
cartridges,  but  I  told  him  his  men  would  waste  those 
few,  so  why  should  I  not  be  frugal?  When  the  time 
came  I  don't  think  the  Syrians  hit  anything,  but  they 
filled  a  gap  and  served  a  double  purpose;  for  after 
Tugendheim  had  let  them  blaze  away  those  ten  rounds 
a  piece  there  was  less  fear  than  ever  of  his  daring  to 
attempt  escape.  Thenceforward  his  prospects  and 
ours  were  one.  But  my  tale  goes  faster  than  the  col- 
umn did,  that  could  travel  no  faster  than  the  slowest 
man  and  the  weakest  mule. 

We  were  far  in  among  the  hills  now — little  low 
hills  with  broad  open  spaces  between,  in  which  thou- 


HIRA  SINGH  213 

sands  of  cattle  could  have  grazed.  Only  there  were 
no  cattle.  I  rode,  as  Ranjoor  Singh  usually  did, 
twenty  or  thirty  horses'  length  away  on  the  right 
flank,  well  forward,  where  I  could  see  the  whole  col- 
umn with  one  quick  turn  of  the  head.  I  had  ten 
troopers  riding  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  front,  and  a 
rear-guard,  of  ten  more,  but  none  riding  on  the  flanks 
because  to  our  left  the  hills  were  steep  and  imprac- 
ticable and  to  our  right  I  could  generally  see  for  miles, 
although  not  always. 

We  dipped  into  a  hollow,  and  I  thought  I  heard 
rifle  shots.  I  urged  my  horse  uphill,  and  sent  him  up 
a  steep  place  from  the  top  of  which  I  had  a  fine  view. 
Then  I  heard  many  shots,  and  looked,  and  lo  a  battle 
was  before  my  eyes.  Not  a  great  battle — really  only  a 
skirmish,  although  to  my  excited  mind  it  seemed  much 
more  at  first.  And  the  first  one  I  recognized  taking 
his  part  in  it  was  Ranjoor  Singh. 

I  could  see  no  infantry  at  all.  About  a  hundred 
Turkish  cavalry  were  being  furiously  attacked  by  sixty 
or  seventy  mounted  men  who  looked  like  Kurds,  and 
who  turned  out  later  really  to  be  Kurds.  The  Kurds 
were  well  mounted,  riding  recklessly,  firing  from 
horseback  at  full  gallop  and  wasting  great  quantities 
of  ammunition. 

The  shooting  must  have  been  extremely  bad,  for 
I  could  see  neither  dead  bodies  nor  empty  saddles, 
but  nevertheless  the  Turks  appeared  anxious  to  es- 
cape— the  more  so  because  Ranjoor  Singh  with  his 
forty  men  was  heading  them  ofif.  As  I  watched,  one 
of  them  blew  a  trumpet  and  they  all  retreated  helter- 
skelter  toward  us — straight  toward  us.     There  was 


214  HIRA  SINGH 

nothing  else  they  could  do,  now  that  they  had  g^ven 
way.  It  was  like  the  letter  Y — thus,  sahib, — see,  I 
draw  in  the  dust — the  Kurds  coming  this  way  at  an 
angle — Ranjoor  Singh  and  his  forty  coming  this  way 
— and  we  advancing  toward  them  all  along  the  bottom 
stroke  of  the  Y,  with  hills  around  forming  an  arena. 
The  best  the  Turks  could  do  would  have  been  to  take 
the  higher  ground  where  we  were  and  there  reform, 
except  for  the  fact  that  we  had  come  on  the  scene 
unknown  to  them.  Now  that  we  had  arrived,  they 
were  caught  in  a  trap. 

There  was  plenty  of  time,  especially  as  we  were 
hidden  from  view,  but  I  worked  swiftly,  the  men  obey- 
ing readily  enough  now  that  a  fight  seemed  certain. 
I  posted  Tugendheim  with  his  Syrians  in  the  center, 
with  the  rest  of  us  in  equal  halves  to  right  and  left, 
keeping  Abraham  by  me  and  giving  Anim  Singh,  as 
next  to  me  in  seniority,  command  of  our  left  wing. 
We  were  in  a  rough  new  moon  formation,  all  well 
under  cover,  with  the  carts  in  a  hollow  to  our  rear. 
By  the  time  I  was  ready,  the  oncoming  Turks  were 
not  much  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away;  and 
now  I  could  see  empty  saddles  at  last,  for  some  of 
the  Kurds  had  dismounted  and  were  firing  from  the 
ground  with  good  effect. 

I  gave  no  order  to  open  fire  until  they  came  within 
three  hundred  yards  of  us.  Then  I  ordered  volleys, 
and  the  Syrians  forthwith  made  a  very  great  noise 
at  high  speed,  our  own  troopers  taking  their  time,  and 
aiming  low  as  ordered.  We  cavalrymen  are  not  good 
shots  as  a  rule,  rather  given,  in  fact,  to  despising  all 
weapons  except  the  lance  and  saber,  and  perhaps  a 
pistol  on  occasion.     But  the  practise  in  Flanders  had 


HIRA  SINGH  215 

worked  wonders,  and  at  our  first  volley  seven  or  eight 
men  rolled  out  of  the  saddles,  the  horses  continuing 
to  gallop  on  toward  us. 

The  surprise  was  so  great  that  the  Turks  drew 
rein,  and  we  gave  them  three  more  volleys  while  they 
considered  matters,  bringing  down  a  number  of  them. 
They  seemed  to  have  no  officer,  and  were  much  con- 
fused. Not  knowing  who  we  were,  they  turned  away 
from  us  and  made  as  if  to  surrender  to  the  enemy 
they  did  know,  but  the  Kurds  rode  in  on  them  and 
in  less  than  five  minutes  there  was  not  one  Turk  left 
alive.  My  men  were  for  rushing  down  to  secure  the 
loot,  but  it  seemed  likely  to  me  that  the  Kurds  might 
mistake  that  for  hostility  and  I  prevailed  on  the  men 
to  keep  still  until  Ranjoor  Singh  should  come.  And 
presently  I  saw  Ranjoor  Singh  ride  up  to  the  leader 
of  the  Kurds  and  talk  with  him,  using  our  Turkish 
officer  prisoner  as  interpreter.  Presently  he  and  the 
Kurdish  chief  rode  together  toward  us,  and  the  Kurd 
looked  us  over,  saying  nothing.  (Ranjoor  Singh  told 
me  afterward  that  the  Kurd  wished  to  be  convinced 
that  we  were  many  enough  to  enforce  fair  play.) 

The  long  and  the  short  of  it  was  that  we  received 
half  the  captured  horses — ^that  is,  thirty-five,  for  some 
had  been  killed — and  all  the  saddles,  no  less  than 
ninety  of  them,  besides  mauser  rifles  and  uniforms  for 
our  ten  unarmed  Syrians.  The  Kurds  took  all  the 
remainder,  watching  to  make  sure  that  the  Syrians, 
whom  we  sent  to  help  themselves  to  uniforms,  took 
nothing  else.  When  the  Kurds  had  finished  looting, 
they  rode  away  toward  the  south  without  so  much  as 
a  backward  glance  at  us. 

I  asked  Ranjoor  Singh  how  Turkish  cavalry  had 


216  HIRA  SINGH 

come  to  let  themselves  get  caught  thus  unsupported, 
and  he  said  he  did  not  know. 

"Yet  I  have  learned  something,"  he  said.  "I  shot 
the  Turkish  commander's  horse  myself,  and  my  men 
pounced  on  him.  That  demoralized  his  men  and  made 
the  rest  easy.  Now,  I  have  questioned  the  Turk,  and 
between  him  and  the  Kurdish  chief  I  have  discovered 
good  reason  to  hurry  forward." 

"I  would  weigh  that  Kurd's  information  twice!" 
said  I.  "He  cut  those  Turks  down  in  cold  blood. 
What  is  he  but  a  cutthroat  robber?" 

"Let  him  weigh  what  I  told  him,  then,  three  times !" 
he  answered  with  a  laugh.    "Have  you  any  men  hurt  ?'* 

"No,"  said  I. 

"Then  give  me  a  mile  start,  and  follow!"  he  or- 
dered. And  in  another  minute  he  was  riding  away 
at  the  head  of  his  forty,  slowly  for  sake  of  the  horses, 
but  far  faster  than  I  could  go  with  all  those  laden 
carts.  And  I  had  to  give  a  start  of  much  more  than  a 
mile  because  of  the  trouble  we  had  in  fitting  the  saddles 
to  our  mounts.  I  wished  he  had  left  the  captured 
Turkish  officer  behind  to  explain  his  nation's  cursed 
saddle  straps! 

We  rode  on  presently  over  the  battle-ground;  and 
although  I  have  seen  looting  on  more  than  one  battle- 
field I  have  never  seen  anything  so  thorough  as  the 
work  those  Kurds  had  done.  They  had  left  the  dead 
naked,  without  a  boot,  or  a  sock,  or  a  rag  of  cloth 
among  them.  Here  and  there  fingers  had  been  hacked 
off,  for  the  sake  of  rings,  I  suppose.  There  were 
vultures  on  the  wing  toward  the  dead,  some  looking 
already  half -gorged,  which  made  me  wonder.    I  worn 


HIRA  SINGH  217 

dered,  too,  whither  the  Kurds  had  ridden  off  in  such 
a  hurry.  What  could  be  happening  to  the  southward  ? 
Ranjoor  Singh  had  gone  due  east. 

It  was  not  long  before  Ranjoor  Singh  rode  out  of 
sight  in  a  cloud  of  dust,  disappearing  between  two  low 
hills  that  seemed  to  guard  the  rim  of  the  hollow  we 
were  crossing.  At  midday  I  let  the  column  rest  in 
the  cleft  between  those  hills,  not  troubling  to  climb  and 
look  beyond  because  the  men  were  turbulent  and  kept 
me  watchful,  and  also  because  I  knew  well  Ranjoor 
Singh  would  send  back  word  of  any  danger  ahead. 
And  so  he  did.  I  was  sitting  eating  my  own  meal  when 
his  messenger  came  galloping  through  the  gap  with  a 
little  slip  of  twisted  paper  in  his  teeth. 

"Bring  them  along,"  said  the  message.  "Don't  halt 
again  until  you  overtake  me." 

So  I  made  every  one  of  the  mounted  men  take  up 
a  man  behind,  and  the  rest  of  the  unmounted  men  I 
ordered  into  the  carts,  including  Tugendheim's  Syrians, 
judging  it  better  to  overtax  the  animals  than  to  be 
too  long  on  the  road.  And  the  long  and  short  of  that 
was  that  we  overtook  Ranjoor  Singh  at  about  four 
that  afternoon.  Our  animals  were  weary,  but  the 
men  were  fit  to  fight. 

Ranjoor  Singh  ordered  Abraham  to  take  the 
Syrians  and  all  the  carts  and  horses  down  into  a  hol- 
low where  there  was  a  water-hole,  and  to  wait  there 
for  further  orders.  Tugendheim  was  bidden  come 
with  us  on  foot;  and  without  any  explanation  he  led 
us  all  toward  a  low  ridge  that  faced  us,  rising  here 
and  there  into  an  insignificant  hill.  It  looked  like 
blown  sand  over  which  coarse  grass  had  grown,  and 


218  HIRA  SINGH 

such  it  proved  to  be,  for  it  was  on  the  edge  of  another 
desert.  It  was  fifty  or  sixty  feet  high,  and  rather 
difficult  to  cHmb,  but  he  led  us  straight  up  it,  caution- 
ing us  to  be  silent  and  not  to  show  ourselves  on  the 
far  side.  On  the  top  we  crawled  forward  eighteen  or 
twenty  yards  on  our  bellies,  until  we  lay  at  last  gazing 
downward.  It  was  plain  then  whence  those  half- 
gorged  vultures  came. 

Who  shall  describe  what  we  saw?  Did  the  sahib 
ever  hear  of  Armenian  massacres?  This  was  worse. 
If  this  had  been  a  massacre  we  would  have  known 
what  to  do,  for  our  Sikh  creed  bids  us  ever  take  the 
part  of  the  oppressed.  But  this  was  something  that 
we  did  not  understand,  that  held  us  speechless,  each 
man  searching  his  own  heart  for  explanation,  and 
Ranjoor  Singh  standing  a  little  behind  us  watching 
us  all. 

There  were  hundreds  of  men,  women  and  little 
children  being  herded  by  Turks  toward  the  desert — 
southward.  The  line  was  long  drawn  out,  for  the 
Armenians  were  weary.  They  had  no  food  with  them, 
no  tents,  and  scarcely  any  clothing.  Here  and  there, 
in  parties  at  intervals  along  the  line,  rode  Turkish 
soldiers;  and  when  an  Armenian,  man  or  woman  or 
child,  would  seek  to  rest,  a  Turk  would  spur  down  on 
him  and  prick  him  back  into  line  with  his  lance — 
man,  woman  or  child,  as  the  case  might  be.  Some  of 
the  Turks  cracked  whips,  and  when  they  did  that  the 
Armenians  who  were  not  too  far  spent  would  shudder 
as  if  the  very  sound  had  cut  their  flesh.  How  did  I 
know  they  were  Armenians?  I  did  not  know.  I 
learned  that  afterward. 


HIRA  SINGH  219 

Some  wept.  Some  moaned.  But  the  most  were 
silent  and  dry-eyed,  moving  slowly  forward  like  peo- 
ple in  a  dream.  Oh,  sahib,  I  have  had  bad  dreams  in 
my  day,  and  other  men  have  told  me  theirs,  but  never 
one  like  that! 

There  was  a  little  water-hole  below  where  we  lay—* 
the  merest  cupful  fed  by  a  trickle  from  below  the  hill. 
Some  of  them  gathered  there  to  scoop  the  water  in 
their  hands  and  drink,  and  I  saw  a  Turk  ride  among 
them,  spurring  his  horse  back  and  forward  until  the 
water  was  all  foul  mud.  Nevertheless,  they  continued 
drinking  until  he  and  another  Turk  flogged  them  for- 
ward. 

"Sahib!"  said  I,  calling  to  Ranjoor  Singh.  "A 
favor,  sahib!" 

He  came  and  lay  beside  me  with  his  chin  on  his 
hand.     "What  is  it?"  said  he. 

"The  life  of  that  Turk  who  trod  the  water  into 
mud!"  said  I.  "Let  me  have  the  winding  up  of  his 
career !" 

"Wait  a  while!"  said  he.  "Let  the  men  watch. 
Watch  thou  the  men!" 

So  I  did  watch  the  men,  and  I  saw  cold  anger 
grow  among  them,  like  an  anodyne,  making  them  for- 
get their  own  affairs.  I  began  to  wonder  how  long 
Ranjoor  Singh  would  dare  let  them  lie  there,  unless 
perhaps  he  deliberately  planned  to  stir  them  into  uncon- 
trol.  But  he  was  wiser  than  to  do  that.  Just  so  far  he 
meant  their  wrath  should  urge  them — so  far  and  no 
further.    He  watched  as  one  might  watch  a  fuse. 

"Those  Kurds  of  this  morning,"  he  told  me  (never 
taking  his  eyes  off  the  men)  "hurried  off  to  the  south- 


220  HIRA  SINGH 

ward  expecting  to  meet  this  very  procession.  Kurds 
hate  Turks,  and  Turks  fear  Kurds,  but  in  this  they 
are  playing  to  and  fro,  each  into  the  other's  hands. 
The  Turks  drive  Armenians  out  into  the  desert,  where 
the  Kurds  come  down  on  them  and  plunder.  The 
Turks  return  for  more  Armenians,  and  so  the  game 
goes  on.  I  learned  all  that  from  our  Turkish  officer 
we  took  this  morning." 

While  he  spoke  a  little  child  died  not  a  hundred 
yards  away  from  where  I  lay.  Its  mother  lay  by  it 
and  wept,  but  a  Turk  spurred  down  and  skewered  the 
child's  body  on  his  lance,  tossing  it  into  the  midst  of  a 
score  of  others  who  went  forward  dumbly.  Another 
Turk  riding  along  behind  him  thrashed  the  woman  to 
her  feet. 

"That  ought  to  do,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  crawling 
backward  out  of  sight  and  then  getting  to  his  feet. 
Then  he  called  us,  and  we  all  crawled  backward  to 
the  rear  edge  of  the  ridge.  And  there  at  last  we  stood 
facing  him.  I  saw  Gooja  Singh  whispering  in  Anim 
Singh's  great  ear.    Ranjoor  Singh  saw  it  too. 

"Stand  forth,  Gooja  Singh!"  he  ordered.  And 
Gooja  Singh  stood  a  little  forward  from  the  others, 
half -truculent  and  half-afraid. 

"What  do  you  want?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh.  "Of 
what  were  you  whispering?"  But  Gooja  Singh  did  not 
answer. 

"No  need  to  tell  me!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "I 
know !  Ye  all  seek  leave  to  loot !  As  sons  of  thaluk- 
dars"^ — as  trusted  soldiers  of  the  raj — as  brave  men—? 
honorable  men — ^ye  seek  to  prove  yourselves  !*' 


Land  holder. 


HIRA  SINGH  221 

They  gasped  at  him — all  of  them,  Tugendheim  in- 
cluded. I  tell  you  he  was  a  brave  man  to  stand  and 
throw  that  charge  in  the  teeth  of  such  a  regiment,  not 
one  man  of  whom  reckoned  himself  less  than  gentle- 
man. I  looked  to  my  pistol  and  made  ready  to  go  and 
die  beside  him,  for  I  saw  that  he  had  chosen  his  own 
ground  and  intended  there  and  then  to  overcome  or 
fail. 

"Lately  but  one  thought  has  burned  in  all  your 
hearts,"  he  told  them.  "Loot!  Loot!  Loot!  Me 
ye  have  misnamed  friend  of  Germany — friend  of  Tur- 
key— enemy  of  Britain!  Yourselves  ye  call  honorable 
men!" 

"Why  not?"  asked  Gooja  Singh,  greatly  daring  be- 
cause the  men  were  looking  to  him  to  answer  for  them. 
"Hitherto  we  have  done  no  shameful  thing!" 

"No  shameful  thing?"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "Ye 
have  called  me  traitor  behind  my  back,  yet  to  my  face 
ye  have^beyed  me  these  weeks  past.  Ye  have  used 
me  while  it  served  your  purpose,  planning  to  toss  me 
aside  at  the  first  excuse.  Is  that  not  shameful  ?  Now 
we  reach  the  place  where  ye  must  do  instead  of  talk. 
Below  is  the  plunder  ye  have  yearned  for,  and  here 
stand  I,  between  it  and  you!" 

"We  have  yearned  for  no  such  plunder  as  that!" 
said  Gooja  Singh,  for  the  men  would  have  answered 
unless  he  did,  and  he,  too,  was  minded  to  make  his  bid 
for  the  ascendency. 

"No?"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "'No  carrion  for 
me !'  said  the  jackal.    T  only  eat  what  a  tiger  killed !'  " 

He  folded  his  arms  and  stood  quite  patiently. 
None  could  mistake  his  meaning.  There  was  to  be, 
one  way  or  the  other,  a  decision  reached  on  that  spot 


222  HIRA  SINGH 

as  to  who  sought  honor  and  who  sought  shame.  He 
himself  submitted  to  no  judgment.  It  was  the  regi- 
ment that  stood  on  trial!  A  weak  man  would  have 
stood  and  explained  himself. 

Presently  Ramnarain  Singh,  seeing  that  Gooja 
Singh  was  likely  to  get  too  much  credit  with  the  men, 
took  up  the  cudgels  and  stood  forward. 

"Tell  us  truly,  sahib,"  he  piped  up.  "Are  you  truly 
for  the  raj,  or  is  this  some  hunt  of  your  own  on  which 
you  lead  us?" 

"Ye  might  have  asked  me  that  before !"  said  Ran- 
joor  Singh.  "Now  ye  shall  answer  me  my  question 
first !  When  I  have  your  answer,  I  will  give  you  mine 
swiftly  enough,  in  deeds  not  words !  What  is  the  out- 
come of  all  your  talk  ?  Below  there  is  the  loot,  and,  as 
I  said,  here  stand  I  between  it  and  you !  Now  decide, 
what  will  ye!" 

He  turned  his  back,  and  that  was  bravery  again  > 
for  under  his  eye  the  men  were  used  to  showing  him 
respect,  whereas  behind  his  back  they  had  grown  used 
to  maligning  him.  Yet  he  had  thrown  their  shame 
in  their  very  teeth  because  he  knew  their  hearts  were 
men's  hearts.  Turning  his  back  on  jackals  would 
have  stung  them  to  worse  dishonor.  He  would  not 
have  turned  his  back  on  jackals,  he  would  have  driven 
them  before  him. 

It  began  to  occur  to  the  men  that  they  once  made 
me  go-between,  and  that  it  was  my  business  to  speak 
up  for  them  now.  Many  of  them  looked  toward  me. 
They  began  to  urge  me.  Yet  I  feared  to  speak  up 
lest  I  say  the  wrong  thing.  Once  it  had  not  been 
difficult  to  pretend  I  took  the  men's  part  against  Ran- 
joor  Singh,  but  that  was  no  longer  so  easy. 


HIRA  SINGH  223 

"What  is  your  will?"  said  I  at  last,  for  Ranjoor 
Singh  continued  to  keep  his  back  turned,  and  Gooja 
Singh  and  Ramnarain  were  seeking  to  forestall  each 
Other.  Anim  Singh  and  Chatar  Singh  both  strode  up 
to  me. 

"Tell  him  we  will  have  none  of  such  plunder  as 
that!"  they  both  said. 

"Is  that  your  will?"  I  asked  the  nearest  men,  and 
they  said  "Aye!"  So  I  went  along  the  line  quickly, 
repeating  the  question,  and  they  all  agreed.  I  even 
asked  Tugendheim,  and  he  was  more  emphatic  than 
the  rest. 

"Sahib!"  I  called  to  Ranjoor  Singh.  "We  are 
one  in  this  matter.  We  will  have  none  of  such  plunder 
as  that  below!" 

He  turned  himself  about,  not  quickly,  but  as  one 
who  is  far  from  satisfied. 

"So-ho !  None  of  such  plunder !"  said  he.  "What 
kind  of  plunder,  then?  What  is  the  difference  be- 
tween the  sorts  of  plunder  in  a  stricken  land?" 

Gooja  Singh  answered  him,  and  I  was  content  that 
he  should,  for  not  only  did  I  not  know  the  answer 
myself  but  I  was  sure  that  the  question  was  a  trap  for 
the  unwary. 

"We  will  plunder  Turks,  not  wretches  such  as 
these !"  said  Gooja  Singh. 

"Aha!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  unfolding  his  arms 
and  folding  them  again,  beginning  to  stand  truculently, 
as  if  his  patience  were  wearing  thin.  "Ye  will  let  the 
Turks  rob  the  weak  ones,  in  order  that  ye  may  rob  the 
Turks!  That  is  a  fine  point  of  honor!  Ye  poor  lost 
fools !  Have  ye  no  better  wisdom  than  that  ?  Can  ye 
draw  no  finer  hairs  ?    And  yet  ye  dare  offer  to  dictate 


224  HIRA  SINGH 

to  me,  and  to  tell  me  whether  I  am  true  or  not !  The 
raj  is  well  served  if  ye  are  its  best  soldiers !" 

He  spat  once,  and  turned  his  back  again. 

"Ye  have  said  we  will  have  no  such  plunder!" 
shouted  Gooja  Singh,  but  he  did  not  so  much  as  ac- 
knowledge the  words  even  by  a  movement  of  the  head. 
Then  Gooja  Singh  went  whispering  with  certain  of 
the  men,  those  who  from  the  first  had  been  most  par- 
tial to  him,  and  presently  I  saw  they  were  agreed  on  a 
course.     He  stood  forward  with  a  new  question. 

"Tell  us  whither  you  are  leading?"  he  demanded. 
"Tell  us  the  plan?" 

Ranjoor  Singh  faced  about.  *Tn  order  that  Gooja 
Singh  may  interfere  and  spoil  the  plan?"  he  asked, 
and  Ramnarain  Singh  laughed  very  loud  at  that,  many 
of  the  troopers  joining.  That  made  Gooja  Singh 
angry,  and  he  grew  rash. 

"How  shall  we  know,"  he  asked,  "whither  you 
lead  or  whether  you  be  true  or  not?" 

"As  to  whither  I  lead,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "God 
knows  that  better  than  I.  At  least  I  have  led  you  into 
no  traps  yet.  And  as  to  whether  I  am  true  or  not,  it 
IS  enough  that  each  should  know  his  own  heart.  I  am 
for  the  raj !"  And  he  drew  his  saber  swiftly,  came 
to  the  salute,  and  kissed  the  hilt. 

Then  I  spoke  up,  for  I  saw  my  opportunity.  "So 
are  we  for  the  raj !"  said  I.  "We  too,  sahib !"  And 
it  was  with  difficulty  then  that  I  restrained  the  men 
from  bursting  into  cheers.  Ranjoor  Singh  held  his 
hand  up,  and  we  daffadars  flung  ourselves  along  the 
line  commanding  silence.  A  voice  or  two — even  a 
dozen  men  talking — ^were  inaudible,  but  the  Turks 
would  have  heard  a  cheer. 


HIRA  SINGH  225 

"Ye?"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "Ye  for  the  faj?  I 
thought  ye  were  alt  for  loot?" 

"Nay !"  said  Gooja  Singh,  for  he  saw  his  position 
undermined  and  began  to  grow  fearful  for  conse- 
quences. "We  are  all  for  the  raj,  and  all  were  for 
the  raj  from  the  first.    It  is  you  who  are  doubtful  I" 

He  thought  to  arouse  feeling  again,  but  the  con- 
trast between  the  one  man  and  the  other  had  been  too 
strong  and  none  gave  him  any  backing.  Ranjoor 
Singh  laughed. 

"Have  a  care,  Gooja  Singh!"  he  warned.  "I 
promised  you  court  martial  and  reduction  to  the  ranks 
should  I  see  fit !    To  your  place  in  the  rear !" 

So  Gooja  Singh  slunk  back  to  his  place  behind  the 
men  and  I  judged  him  more  likely  than  ever  to  be 
dangerous,  although  for  the  moment  overcome.  But 
Ranjoor  Singh  had  not  finished  yet. 

"Then,  on  one  point  we  are  agreed,"  he  said.  "We 
will  make  the  most  of  that.  Let  us  salute  our  own 
loyalty  to  India,  and  the  British  and  the  Allies,  with 
determination  to  give  one  another  credit  at  least  for 
that  in  future !     Pre — sent  arms !" 

So  we  presented  arms,  he  kissing  the  hilt  of  his 
saber  again ;  and  it  was  not  until  three  days  afterward 
that  I  overheard  one  of  the  troopers  saying  that  Gooja 
Singh  had  called  attention  to  the  fact  of  its  being  a 
German  saber.  For  the  moment  there  was  no  more 
doubt  among  us;  and  if  Gooja  Singh  had  not  begun 
to  be  so  fearful  lest  Ranjoor  Singh  take  vengeance  on 
him  there  never  would  have  been  doubt  again.  We 
felt  warm,  like  men  who  had  come  in  under  cover 
from  the  cold. 

It  was  growing  dusk  by  that  time,  and  Ranjoor 


226  HIRA  SINGH 

Singh  bade  us  at  once  to  return  to  where  the  horses 
and  Syrians  waited  in  the  hollow,  he  himself  con- 
tinuing to  sit  alone  on  the  summit  of  the  ridge,  con- 
sidering matters.  We  had  no  idea  what  he  would  do 
next,  and  none  dared  ask  him,  although  many  of  the 
men  urged  me  to  go  and  ask.  But  at  nightfall  he 
came  striding  down  to  us  and  left  us  no  longer  in 
doubt,  for  he  ordered  girths  tightened  and  ammunition 
inspected. 

The  Syrians  had  no  part  in  that  night's  doings. 
They  were  bidden  wait  in  the  shadow  of  the  ridge; 
with  mules  inspanned,  and  with  Tugendheim  in  charge 
we  trusted  them  to  guard  our  Turkish  prisoners. 
Tugendheim  bit  his  nails  and  made  as  if  to  pull  his 
mustache  out  by  the  roots,  but  we  suffered  no  anxiety 
on  his  account ;  his  safety  and  ours  were  one.  He  had 
no  alternative  but  to  obey. 

Before  the  moon  rose  we  sent  our  unmounted  men 
to  the  top  of  the  ridge  under  Chatar  Singh,  and  the 
rest  of  us  rode  in  a  circuit,  through  a  gap  that  Ranjoor 
Singh  had  found,  to  the  plain  on  the  far  side. 

The  Turks  had  driven  their  convoy  into  the  desert 
and  had  camped  behind  them,  nearly  three  hundred 
strong.  They  had  made  one  big  fire  and  many  little 
ones,  and  looked  extremely  cheerful,  what  with  the 
smell  of  cooking  and  the  dancing  flame.  Their  horses 
were  picketed  together  in  five  lines  with  only  a  few 
guards,  so  that  their  capture  was  an  easy  matter. 

We  caught  them  entirely  by  surprise  and  fell  on 
them  from  three  sides  at  once,  our  foot-men  from  the 
ridge  delivering  such  a  hot  fire  that  some  of  us  were 


HIRA  SINGH  227 

hit.  I  looked  long  for  the  Turk  who  had  fouled  the 
water,  and  for  the  other  one  who  had  lanced  the 
child's  body,  but  failed  to  identify  either  of  them.  I 
found  two  who  looked  like  them,  crawling  out  from 
tinder  a  heap  of  slain,  and  shot  them  through  the  head ; 
but  as  to  whether  I  slew  the  right  ones  or  not  I  do 
not  know. 

Three  officers  we  made  prisoner,  making  five  that 
we  had  to  care  for.  The  other  officers  were  slain.  We 
never  knew  how  few  or  how  many  Turks  escaped 
under  cover  of  darkness,  but  I  suspect  not  more  than 
a  dozen  or  two  at  the  most.  Whatever  tale  they  told 
when  they  got  home  again,  it  is  pretty  certain  they 
gave  the  Kurds  the  blame,  for  how  should  they  sup- 
pose us  to  be  anything  except  Kurds  ? 

We  took  no  loot  except  the  horses  and  rifles.  We 
stacked  the  rifles  in  a  cart,  picked  the  best  horses, 
taking  twenty-five  spare  ones  with  us,  and  gave  our 
worst  horses  to  the  Armenians  to  eat.  We  sent  a  few 
Syrians  in  a  hurry  to  warn  the  Armenians  in  the  desert 
against  those  Kurds  who  had  ridden  to  the  south  to 
intercept  them,  and  tipped  out  two  cartsful  of  com 
that  we  could  ill  spare,  putting  our  wounded  in  the 
empty  carts.  We  had  one-and-twenty  wounded,  many 
of  them  by  our  own  riflemen. 

Then  we  rode  on  into  the  night,  Ranjoor  Singh 
urging  us  to  utmost  speed.  The  Armenians  begged 
us  to  remain  with  them,  or  to  take  them  with  us.  Some 
clung  to  our  stirrups,  but  we  had  to  shake  them  loose. 
For  what  could  we  do  more  than  we  had  done  for 
them  ?    Should  we  die  with  them  in  the  desert,  serving 


228  HIRA  SINGH 

neither  them  nor  us?  We  gave  them  the  best  advice 
we  could  and  rode  away.  We  bade  them  eat,  and 
scatter,  and  hide.    And  I  hope  they  did. 

We  rode  on,  laughing  to  think  that  Kurds  would 
be  blamed  for  our  doings,  and  wondering  whether  the 
Armenians  had  enough  spirit  left  to  make  use  of  the 
loot  we  did  not  touch.  Some  of  us  had  lances  now; 
a  few  had  sabers;  all  had  good  mounts  and  saddles. 
We  were  likely  to  miss  the  corn  we  had  given  away; 
but  to  offset  that  we  had  a  new  confidence  in  Ranjoor 
Singh  that  was  beyond  price,  and  I  sang  as  I  rode. 
I  sang  the  Anand,  our  Sikh  hymn  of  joy.  I  knew 
we  were  a  regiment  again  at  last. 


CHAPTER  VII 

Since  when  did  God  take  sides  against  the  brave?    . 

— Ranjoor  Singh. 

Did  the  sahib  ever  chance  to  hear  that  Persian 
proverb — "Duzd  ne  giriftah  padshah  asf'f  No?  It 
means  "The  uncaught  thief  is  king."  Ho !  but  thence- 
forward that  was  a  campaign  that  suited  us!  None 
could  catch  us,  for  we  could  come  and  go  like  the 
night  wind,  and  the  Turks  are  heavy  on  their  feet.  We 
helped  ourselves  to  what  we  needed.  And  a  reputation 
began  to  hurry  ahead  of  us  that  made  matters  easier, 
for  our  numbers  multiplied  in  men's  imagination. 

The  Turks  whom  we  had  recently  defeated  gave 
Kurds  the  credit  for  it,  and  after  the  survivors  had 
crawled  back  home  whole  Turkish  regiments  were 
ordered  out  by  telegraph  to  hunt  for  raiding  Kurds, 
not  us !  We  cut  all  the  wires  we  could  find  uncut,  real 
Kurds  having  attended  to  the  business  already  in  most 
instances,  and  now,  instead  of  slipping  unseen  through 
the  land  we  began  to  leave  our  signature,  and  do 
deliberate  damage. 

None  can  beat  Sikhs  at  such  warfare  as  we  waged 
'across  the  breadth  of  Asiatic  Turkey^  and  none  could 
beat  Ranjoor  Singh  as  leader  of  it.  We  could  out- 
ride the  Turks,  outwit  them,  outfight  them,  and  out- 
dare them.  As  the  spring  advanced  the  weather  im- 
proved and  our  spirits  rose ;  and  as  we  began  to  take 

229 


230  HIRA  SINGH 

the  offensive  more  and  more  our  confidence  increased 
in  Ranjoor  Singh  until  there  might  never  have  been 
any  doubt  of  him,  except  that  Gooja  Singh  was  too 
conscious  of  his  own  faults  to  dare  let  matters  be. 
He  was  ever  on  the  watch  for  a  chance  to  make  him- 
self safe  at  Ranjoor  Singh's  expense.  He  was  a  good 
enough  soldier  when  so  minded.  All  of  us  daffadars 
were  developing  into  very  excellent  troop  commanders, 
and  he  not  least  of  us ;  but  the  more  efficient  he  grew 
the  more  dangerous  he  was,  for  the  very  good  reason 
that  Ranjoor  Singh  scorned  to  take  notice  of  his  hate 
and  only  praised  him  for  efficiency.  Whereas  he 
(vatched  all  the  time  for  faults  in  Ranjoor  Singh  to 
take  advantage  of  them. 

So  I  took  thought,  and  used  discretion,  and  chose 
twelve  troopers  whom  I  drafted  into  Gooja  Singh's 
command  by  twos  and  threes,  he  not  suspecting.  By 
ones  and  twos  and  threes  I  took  them  apart  and  tested 
them,  saying  much  the  same  to  each. 

Said  I,  "Who  mistrusts  our  sahib  any  longer?" 
And  because  I  had  chosen  them  well  they  each  made 
the  same  answer.  "Nay,"  said  they,  "we  were  fools. 
He  was  always  truer  than  any  of  us.  He  surrendered 
in  that  trench  that  we  might  live  for  some  such  work 
as  this !" 

"If  he  were  to  be  slain,"  said  I,  "what  would  now 
become  of  us?" 

"He  must  not  be  slain !"  said  they. 

"But  what  if  he  is  slain?"  I  answered.  "Who 
knows  his  plans  for  the  future  ?" 

"Ask  him  to  tell  his  plans,"  said  they.  "He  trusts 
you  more  than  any  of  us.    Ask  and  he  will  tell." 


HIRA  SINGH  231 

**Nay,"  said  I,  "I  have  asked  and  he  will  not  tell. 
He  knows,  as  well  as  you  or  I,  that  not  all  the  men 
of  this  regiment  have  always  believed  in  him.  He 
knows  that  none  dare  kill  him  unless  they  know  his 
plans  first,  for  until  they  have  his  plans  how  can  they 
dispense  with  his  leadership?'' 

"Who  are  these  who  wish  to  kill  him?"  said  they. 
"Let  there  be  court  martial  and  a  hanging!" 

"Nay,"  said  I,  "let  there  be  a  silence  and  forgetting, 
lest  too  many  be  involved !" 

They  nodded,  knowing  well  that  not  one  man  of  us 
all  would  escape  condemnation  if  inquiry  could  be 
carried  back  far  enough. 

"Let  there  be  much  watchfulness !"  said  L 

"Who  shall  watch  Ranjoor  Singh  ?"  said  they.  "He 
is  here,  there  and  everywhere!  He  is  gone  before 
dawn,  and  perhaps  we  see  him  again  at  noon,  but 
probably  not  until  night.  And  half  the  night  he  spends 
in  the  saddle  as  often  as  not.    Who  shall  watch  him?" 

"True!"  said  I.  "But  if  we  took  thought,  and 
decided  who  might — perhaps — most  desire  to  kill  him 
for  evil  recollection's  sake,  then  we  might  watch  and 
prevent  the  deed." 

"Aye!"  said  they,  and  they  understood.  So  I  ar- 
ranged with  Ranjoor  Singh  to  have  them  transferred 
to  Gooja  Singh's  troop,  making  this  excuse  and  that 
and  telling  everything  except  the  truth  about  it.  If 
I  had  told  him  the  truth,  Ranjoor  Singh  would  have 
laughed  and  my  precaution  would  have  been  wasted, 
but  having  lied  I  was  able  to  ride  on  with  easier  mind 
— such  sometimes  being  the  case. 

We  had  little  trouble  in  keeping  on  the  horizon 


232  HIRA  SINGH 

whenever  we  sighted  Turks  in  force;  and  then  prob- 
ably the  distance  deceived  them  into  thinking  us 
Turks,  too,  for  we  rode  now  with  no  less  than  five 
Turkish  officers  as  well  as  a  German  sergeant.  And 
in  the  rear  of  large  bodies  of  Turks  there  was  generally 
a  defenseless  town  or  village  whose  Armenians  had  all 
been  butchered,  and  whose  other  inhabitants  were 
mostly  too  gorged  with  plunder  to  show  any  fight. 
We  helped  ourselves  to  food,  clothing,  horses,  saddlery, 
horse-feed,  and  anything  else  that  Ranjoor  Singh 
considered  we  might  need,  but  he  threatened  to  hang 
the  man  who  plundered  anything  of  personal  value  to 
himself,  and  none  of  us  wished  to  die  by  that  means. 

We  soon  began  to  need  medicines  and  a  doctor 
badly,  for  we  lost  no  less  than  eight-and-twenty  men 
between  the  avenging  of  those  Armenians  in  the  desert 
and  reaching  the  Kurdish  mountains,  and  once  we  had 
more  than  forty  wounded  at  one  time.  But  finally 
we  captured  a  Greek  doctor,  attached  to  the  Turkish 
army,  and  he  had  along  with  him  two  mule-loads  of 
medicines.  Ranjoor  Singh  promised  him  seven  deaths 
for  every  one  of  our  wounded  men  who  should  die 
of  neglect,  and  most  of  them  began  to  recover  very 
quickly. 

If  we  had  tried  merely  to  plunder ;  or  had  raided 
the  same  place  twice;  or,  if  we  had  rested  merely 
because  we  were  weary ;  or,  if  we  had  once  done  what 
might  have  been  expected  of  us,  I  should  not  now  sit 
beneath  this  tree  talking  to  you,  sahib,  because  my 
bones  would  be  lying  in  Asiatic  Turkey.  But, we  rode 
zigzag-wise,  very  often  doubling  on  our  tracks,  Ran- 


HIRA  SINGH  233 

joor  Singh  often  keeping  half  a  day's  march  ahead 
of  us  gathering  information. 

When  we  raided  a  town  or  village  we  used  to  tie 
our  Turkish  officers  hand  and  foot  and  cover  them  up 
in  a  cart,  for  we  wished  them  to  be  mistaken  for 
Kurds,  not  Turks.  And  in  almost  the  first  bazaar  we 
plundered  were  strange  hats  such  as  Kurds  wear,  that 
gave  us  when  we  wore  them  in  the  dark  the  appear- 
ance, perhaps,  of  Kurds  who  had  stolen  strange  gar- 
ments (for  the  Kurds  wear  quite  distinctive  clothes, 
of  which  we  did  not  succeed  in  plundering  sufficient 
to  disguise  us  all). 

In  more  than  one  town  we  had  to  fight  for  what 
we  took,  for  there  were  Turkish  soldiers  that  we  did 
not  know  about,  for  all  Ran  joor  Singh's  good  scouting. 
Sometimes  we  beat  them  off  with  very  little  trouble; 
sometimes  we  had  about  enough  fighting  to  warm  our 
hearts  and  terrify  the  inhabitants.  But  in  one  town 
we  were  caught  plundering  the  bazaar  by  several  hun- 
dred Turkish  infantry  who  entered  from  the  far  side 
unexpectedly;  and  if  we  had  not  burned  the  bazaar  I 
doubt  that  we  should  have  won  clear  of  that  trap.  But 
the  smoke  and  flame  served  us  for  a  screen,  and  we 
got  to  the  rear  of  the  Turks  and  killed  a  number  of 
them  before  galloping  of£  into  the  dark. 

But  who  shall  tell  in  a  day  what  took  weeks  in  the 
doing?  I  do  not  remember  the  tenth  part  of  it!  We 
rode,  and  we  skirmished,  and  we  plundered,  growing 
daily  more  proud  of  Ran  joor  Singh,  and  most  of  us 
forgetting  we  had  ever  doubted  him.  Once  we  rode 
for  ten  miles  side  by  side  in  the  darkness  with  a 


234  HIRA  SINGH 

Turkish  column  that  had  been  sent  to  hunt  for  us! 
Perhaps  they  mistook  our  squeaky  old  carts  for  their 
cannon;  that  had  camped  for  the  night  unknown  to 
them!  Next  day  we  told  some  Kurds  where  to  find 
the  cannon,  and  doubtless  the  Kurds  made  trouble. 
We  let  the  column  alone,  for  it  was  too  big  for  us — 
about  two  regiments,  I  think.  They  camped  at  mid- 
night, and  we  rode  on. 

We  gave  our  horses  all  the  care  we  could,  but  that 
was  none  too  much,  and  we  had  to  procure  new 
mounts  very  frequently.  Often  we  picked  up  a  dozen 
at  a  time  in  the  towns  and  villages,  slaying  those  we 
left  behind  lest  they  be  of  use  to  the  enemy.  Once  we 
wrought  a  miracle,  being  nearly  at  a  standstill  from 
hard  marching,  and  almost  surrounded  by  regiments 
sent  out  to  cut  us  off.  We  raided  the  horse-lines  of  a 
Turkish  regiment  that  had  camped  beside  a  stream,  se- 
curing all  the  horses  we  needed  and  stampeding  the 
remainder!  Thus  we  escaped  through  the  gap  that 
regiment  had  been  supposed  to  close.  We  got  away 
with  their  baked  bread,  too,  enough  to  last  us  at  least 
three  days  !    That  was  not  far  from  Diarbekr. 

By  the  time  we  reached  the  Tigris  and  crossed  it 
near  Diarbekr  we  were  happy  men;  for  we  were  not 
in  search  of  idleness ;  all  most  of  us  asked  was  a  chance 
to  serve  our  friends,  and  making  trouble  for  the  Turks 
was  surely  service!  One  way  and  another  we  made 
more  trouble  than  ten  times  our  number  could  have 
made  in  Flanders.  Every  one  of  us  but  Gooja  Singh 
was  happy. 

We  crossed  the  Tigris  in  the  dark,  and  some  of  us 
were    nearly    drowned,    owing   to   the    horses    being 


HIRA  SINGH  235 

frightened.  We  had  to  abandon  our  carts,  so  we 
burned  them;  and  by  the  Hght  of  that  fire  we  saw 
great  mounds  of  Turkish  suppHes  that  they  intended 
to  float  down  the  river  to  Bagdad  on  strange  rafts 
made  of  goatskins.  The  sentries  guarding  the  stores 
put  up  a  Httle  fight,  and  five  more  of  us  were  wounded, 
but  finally  we  burned  the  stores,  and  the  flames  were 
so  bright  and  high  that  we  had  to  gallop  for  two  miles 
before  we  could  be  safe  again  in  darkness.  So  we 
crossed  at  a  rather  bad  place,  and  there  was  something 
like  panic  for  ten  minutes,  but  we  got  over  safely  in 
the  end,  wounded  and  all.  We  floated  the  wounded 
men  and  ammunition  and  rations  for  men  and  horses 
across  on  some  of  those  strange  goatskin  rafts  that 
go  round  and  round  and  any  way  but  forward.  We 
found  them  in  the  long  grass  by  the  river-bank. 

At  a  town  on  the  far  side  we  seized  new  carts,  far 
better  than  our  old  ones.  And  then,  because  we  might 
have  been  expected  to  continue  eastward,  we  turned 
to  the  south  and  followed  the  course  of  the  Tigris, 
straight  into  Kurdish  country,  where  it  did  us  no  good 
to  resemble  either  Turks  or  Kurds ;  for  we  could  not 
hope  to  deceive  the  Kurds  into  thinking  we  were  of 
their  tribe,  and  Turks  and  Kurds  are  open  enemies 
wherever  the  Turks  are  not  strong  enough  to  overawe. 
They  were  all  Kurds  in  these  parts,  and  no  Turks  at 
all,  so  that  our  problem  became  quite  diflFerent.  After 
two  days*  riding  over  what  was  little  else  than  wilder- 
ness, Ranjoor  Singh  made  new  dispositions,  and  we 
put  the  Kurdish  headgear  in  our  knapsacks. 

In  the  first  place,  the  wounded  had  been  suffering 
severely  from  the  long  forced  marches  and  the  jolting 


236  HIRA  SINGH 

of  the  sprlngless  carts.  Some  of  them  had  died,  and 
the  Greek  doctor  had  grown  very  anxious  for  his  own 
skin.  Ranjoor  Singh  summoned  him  and  Hstened  to 
great  explanations  and  excuses,  finally  gravely  per- 
mitting him  to  live,  but  adding  solemn  words  of  cau- 
tion. Then  he  ordered  the  carts  abandoned,  for  there 
was  now  no  road  at  all.  The  forty  Turkish  soldiers 
(in  their  Syrian  clothes)  were  made  to  carry  the 
wounded  in  stretchers  we  improvised,  until  some  got 
well  and  some  died ;  those  who  did  not  carry  wounded 
were  made  to  carry  ammunition,  and  some  of  our  own 
men  who  had  tried  to  disregard  Ranjoor  Singh's  strict 
orders  regarding  women  of  the  country  were  made 
to  help  them.  That  arrangement  lasted  until  we  came 
to  a  village  where  the  Kurds  were  willing  to  exchange 
mules  against  the  rifles  we  had  taken  from  the  Kurds, 
one  mule  for  one  rifle,  we  refusing  to  part  with  any 
cartridges. 

After  that  the  wounded  had  to  ride  on  mules,  some 
of  them  two  to  a  mule,  holding  each  other  on,  and  the 
cartridge  boxes  were  packed  on  the  backs  of  other 
mules,  except  that  men  who  tried  to  make  free  with 
native  women  were  invariably  ordered  to  relieve  a 
mule.  Then  we  had  no  further  use  for  the  forty 
Turks,  so  we  turned  them  loose  with  enough  food 
to  enable  them  to  reach  Diarbekr  if  they  were 
economical.  They  went  off  none  too  eagerly  in  their 
Syrian  clothes,  and  I  have  often  wondered  whether 
they  ever  reached  their  destination,  for  the  Kurds  of 
those  parts  are  a  fierce  people,  and  it  is  doubtful  which 
they  would  rather  ill-treat  and  kill,  a  Turk  or  a  Syrian. 
The  Turks  have  taught  them  to  despise  Armenians  and 


HIRA  SINGH  237 

Syrians,  but  they  despise  Turks  naturally.  (All  this 
I  learned  from  Abraham,  who  often  marched  beside 
me.) 

"Those  Turks  we  have  released  will  go  back  and 
set  their  people  on  our  trail,"  said  Gooja  Singh,  over- 
looking no  chance  to  throw  discredit. 

"If  they  ever  get  safely  back,  that  is  what  I  hope 
they  will  do!"  Ranjoor  Singh  answered.  "We  will 
disturb  hornets  and  pray  that  Turks  get  stung!" 

He  would  give  no  explanation,  but  it  was  not  long 
before  we  all  understood.  Little  by  little,  he  was  ad- 
mitting us  to  confidence  in  those  days,  never  telling  'at 
a  time  more  than  enough  to  arouse  interest  and  hope. 

Rather  than  have  him  look  like  a  Turk  any  longer, 
we  had  dressed  up  Abraham  in  the  uniform  of  one  of 
our  dead  troopers;  and  when  at  last  a  Kurdish  chief 
rode  up  with  a  hundred  men  at  his  back  and  demanded 
to  know  our  business,  Ranjoor  Singh  called  Abraham 
to  interpret.  We  could  easily  have  beaten  a  mere 
hundred  Kurds,  but  to  have  won  a  skirmish  just  then 
would  have  helped  us  almost  as  little  as  to  lose  one. 
What  we  wanted  was  free  leave  to  ride  forward. 

"Where  are  ye,  and  whither  are  ye  bound? 
What  seek  ye?"  the  Kurd  demanded,  but  Ranjoor 
Singh  proved  equal  to  the  occasion. 

"We  be  troops  from  India,"  said  he.  "We  have 
been  fighting  in  Europe  on  the  side  of  France  and 
England,  and  the  Germans  and  Turks  have  been  so 
badly  beaten  that  you  see  for  yourself  what  is  hap- 
pening. Behold  us !  We  are  an  advance  party.  These 
Turkish  officers  you  see  are  prisoners  we  have  taken 
on  our  way.    Behold,  we  have  also  a  German  prisoner  I 


238  HIRA  SINGH 

You  will  find  all  the  Turks  between  here  and  Syria  in 
a  state  of  panic,  and  if  plunder  is  what  you  desire 
you  would  better  make  haste  and  get  what  you  can 
before  the  great  armies  come  eating  the  land  like 
locusts !  Plunder  the  Turks  and  prove  yourselves  the 
friends  of  French  and  English!" 

Sahib,  those  Kurds  would  rather  loot  than  go  to 
heaven,  and,  like  all  wild  people,  they  are  very  credu- 
lous. There  are  Kurds  and  Kurds  and  Kurds,  nations 
within  a  nation,  speaking  many  dialects  of  one  tongue. 
Some  of  them  are  half-tame  and  live  on  the  plains; 
those  the  Turks  are  able  to  draft  into  their  armies  to 
some  extent.  Some  of  the  plainsmen,  like  those  I 
speak  of  now,  are  altogether  wild  and  will  not  serve 
the  Turks  on  any  terms.  And  most  of  the  hillmen 
prefer  to  shoot  a  Turk  on  sight.  I  would  rather  fight 
a  pig  with  bare  hands  than  try  to  stand  between  a 
Kurd  and  Turkish  plunder,  and  it  only  needed  just 
those  few  words  of  Ranjoor  Singh's  to  set  that  part 
of  the  world  alight! 

We  rode  for  very  many  days  after  that,  following 
the  course  of  the  Tigris  unmolested.  The  tale  Ran- 
joor Singh  told  had  gone  ahead  of  us.  The  village 
Kurds  waited  to  have  one  look,  saw  our  Turkish  pris- 
oners and  our  Sikh  turbans,  judged  for  themselves, 
and  were  off !  I  believe  we  cost  the  Turkish  garrisons 
in  those  parts  some  grim  fighting;  and  if  any  Turks 
were  on  our  trail  I  dare  wager  they  met  a  swarm  or 
two  of  hornets  more  than  they  bargained  for! 

Instead  of  having  to  fight  our  way  through  that 
country,  we  were  well  received.  Wherever  we  found 
Kurds,  either  in  tents  or  in  villages,  the  unveiled 
women  would  give  us  du,  as  they  call  their  curds  and 


HIRA  SINGH  239 

whey,  and  barley  for  our  horses,  and  now  and  then  a 
little  bread.  When  other  persuasion  failed,  we  could 
buy  almost  anything  they  had  with  a  handful  or  two 
of  cartridges.  They  were  a  savage  people,  but  not 
altogether  unpleasing. 

Once,  where  the  Tigris  curved  and  our  road 
brought  us  near  the  banks,  by  a  high  cliff  past  which 
the  river  swept  at  very  great  speed,  we  took  part  in  a 
sport  that  cost  us  some  cartridges,  but  no  risk,  and 
gave  us  great  amusement.  The  Kurds  of  those  parts, 
having  heard  in  advance  of  our  tale  of  victory,  had 
decided  to  take  the  nearest  loot  to  hand;  so  they  had 
made  an  ambuscade  down  near  the  river  level,  and 
when  we  came  on  the  scene  we  lent  a  hand  from 
higher  up. 

Rushing  down  the  river  at  enormous  speed  (  for  the 
stream  was  narrow  there)  forced  between  rocks  with 
a  roar  and  much  white  foam  the  goatskin  rafts  kept 
coming  on  their  way  to  Mosul  and  Bagdad,  some 
loaded  with  soldiers,  some  with  officers,  and  all  with 
goods  on  which  the  passengers  must  sit  to  keep  their 
legs  dry.  The  rafts  were  each  managed  by  two  men, 
who  worked  long  oars  to  keep  them  in  mid-current, 
they  turning  slowly  round  and  round. 

The  mode  of  procedure  was  to  volley  at  them, 
shooting,  if  possible,  the  men  with  oars,  but  not  de- 
spising a  burst  goatskin  bag.  In  case  the  men  with 
oars  were  shot,  the  others  would  try  to  take  their  place, 
and,  being  unskilful,  would  very  swifly  run  the  raft 
against  a  rock,  when  it  would  break  up  and  drown  its 
passengers,  the  goods  drifting  ashore  at  the  bend  in 
the  river  in  due  time. 

On  the  other  hand,  when  a  few  goatskin  bags  were 


240  HIRA  SINGH 

pierced  the  raft  would  begin  to  topple  over  and  the 
men  with  oars  would  themselves  direct  the  raft  toward 
the  shore,  preferring  to  take  their  chance  among  Kurds 
than  with  the  rocks  that  stuck  up  like  fangs  out  of 
the  raging  water.  No,  sahib,  I  could  not  see  what 
happened  to  them  after  they  reached  shore.  That  is 
a  savage  country. 

One  of  our  first  volleys  struck  a  raft  so  evenly 
and  all  together  that  it  blew  up  as  if  it  had  been  tor- 
pedoed! We  tried  again  and  again  to  repeat  that 
performance,  until  Ranjoor  Singh  checked  us  for  wast- 
ing ammunition.  It  was  very  good  sport.  There  were 
rafts  and  rafts  and  rafts — -kyaks,  I  think  they  call 
them — and  the  amount  of  plunder  those  Kurds  col- 
lected on  the  beach  must  have  been  astonishing. 

We  gave  the  city  of  Mosul  a  very  wide  berth,  for 
that  is  the  largest  city  of  those  parts,  with  a  very  large 
Turkish  garrison.  Twenty  miles  to  -the  north  of  it 
we  captured  a  good  convoy  of  mules,  together  with 
their  drivers,  headed  toward  Mosul,  and  the  mules' 
loads  turned  out  to  consist  of  good  things  to  eat,  in- 
cluding butter  in  large  quantities.  We  came  on  them 
in  the  gathering  dusk,  when  their  escort  of  fifty 
Turkish  infantry  had  piled  arms,  we  being  totally  un- 
expected. So  we  captured  the  fifty  rifles  as  well  as 
the  mules ;  and,  although  the  mule-drivers  gave  us  the 
slip  next  day,  and  no  doubt  gave  information  about 
us  in  Mosul,  that  did  not  worry  us  much.  We  cut  two 
telegraph  wires  leading  toward  Mosul  that  same  night ; 
we  cut  out  two  miles  of  wire  in  sections,  riding  away 
with  it,  and  burned  the  poles. 

After  that,  whenever  we  could  catch  a  small  party 


HIRA  SINGH  241 

of  men,  Turks  excepted  (for  that  would  have  been  to 
give  the  Turks  more  information  than  we  could  expect 
to  get  from  them),  Ranjoor  Singh  would  ask  ques- 
tions about  Wassmuss.  Most  of  them  would  glance 
toward  the  mountains  at  mention  of  his  name,  but  few 
had  much  to  tell  about  him.  However,  bit  by  bit,  our 
knowledge  of  his  doings  and  his  whereabouts  kept 
growing,  and  we  rode  forward,  ever  toward  the  moun- 
tains now,  wasting  no  time  and  plundering  no  more 
than  expedient. 

We  saw  no  more  living  Armenians  on  all  that  long 
journey.  The  Turks  and  Kurds  had  exterminated 
them!  We  rode  by  burned  villages,  and  through  vil- 
lages that  once  had  been  half -Armenian.  The  non- 
Armenian  houses  would  all  be  standing,  like  to  burst 
apart  with  plunder,  but  every  single  one  that  had 
sheltered  an  Armenian  family  would  lie  in  ruins.  God 
knows  why!  On  all  our  way  we  found  no  man  who 
could  tell  us  what  those  people  had  done  to  deserve 
such  hatred.     We  asked,  but  none  could  tell  us. 

One  town,  through  which  we  rode  at  full  gallop, 
had  Armenian  bodies  still  lying  in  the  streets,  some  of 
them  half-burned,  and  there  were  Kurds  and  Turks 
busy  plundering  the  houses.  Some  of  them  came  out 
to  fire  at  us,  but  failed  to  do  us  any  harm,  and,  the 
wind  being  the  right  way,  we  set  a  light  to  a  dozen 
houses  at  the  eastward  end.  Two  or  three  miles  away 
we  stopped  to  watch  the  whole  town  go  up  in  flames, 
and  laughed  long  at  the  Turks'  efforts  to  save  their 
loot. 

As  we  drew  near  enough  to  the  mountains  to  see 
snow  and  to  make  out  the  lie  of  the  different  ranges, 


242  HIRA  SINGH 

we  ceased  to  have  any  fear  of  pursuit.  There  was 
plenty  of  evidence  of  Turkish  armies  not  very  far 
away;  in  fact,  at  Mosul  there  was  gathering  a  very 
great  army  indeed;  but  they  were  all  so  busy  killing 
and  torturing  and  hunting  down  Armenians  that  they 
seemed  to  have  no  time  for  duty  on  that  part  of  the 
frontier.  Perhaps  that  was  why  the  Germans  had 
sent  Wassmuss,  in  order  that  the  Turks  might  have 
more  leisure  to  destroy  their  enemies  at  home !  Who 
knows?  There  are  many  things  about  this  great  war 
to  which  none  know  the  answer,  and  I  think  the  fate 
of  the  Armenians  is  one  of  them. 

But  who  thought  any  more  of  Armenians  when  the 
outer  spurs  of  the  foot-hills  began  to  close  around  us? 
Not  we,  at  any  rate.  We  had  problems  enough  of 
our  own.  What  lay  behind  us  was  behind,  and  the 
future  was  likely  to  afford  us  plenty  to  think  about! 
Too  many  of  us  had  fought  among  the  slopes  of  the 
Himalayas  now  to  know  how  difficult  it  would  be  for 
Turks  to  follow  us;  but  those  mountaineers,  who  are 
nearly  as  fierce  as  our  mountaineers  of  northern 
India,  and  who  have  ever  been  too  many  for  the  Turks, 
were  likely  to  prove  more  dangerous  than  anything 
we  had  met  yet. 

We  had  enough  food  packed  on  our  captured  mules 
to  last  us  for  perhaps  another  eight  days  when  we  at 
last  rode  into  a  grim  defile  that  seemed  to  lead  be- 
tween the  very  gate-posts  of  the  East — two  great  moun- 
tains, one  on  either  hand,  barren,  and  ragged,  and 
hard.  We  were  being  led  at  that  time  by  a  Kurdish 
prisoner,  who  had  lain  by  the  wayside  with  the  belly- 
ache. Our  Greek  doctor  had  physicked  him,  and  he 
was  now  compelled  to  lead  us  under  Ranjoor  Singh's 


HIRA  SINGH  243 

directions,  with  his  hands  made  fast  behind  him,  he 
riding  on  a  mule  with  one  of  our  men  on  either  hand. 
By  that  time  Ranjoor  Singh  had  picked  up  enough 
information  at  different  times,  and  had  added  enough 
of  it  together  to  know  whither  we  must  march,  and 
the  Kurd  had  nothing  to  do  but  obey  orders. 

We  had  scarcely  ridden  three  hundred  yards  into 
the  defile  of  which  I  speak,  remarking  the  signs  of 
another  small  body  of  mounted  men  who  had  preceded 
us,  when  fifty  shots  rang  out  from  overhead  and  we 
took  open  order  as  if  a  shell  had  burst  among  us. 
Nobody  was  hit,  however,  and  I  think  nobody  was 
intended  to  be  hit.  I  saw  that  Ranjoor  Singh  looked 
unalarmed.  He  beckoned  for  Abraham,  who  looked 
terrified,  and  I  took  Abraham  by  the  shoulder  and 
brought  him  forward.  There  came  a  wild  yell  from 
overhead,  and  Ranjoor  Singh  made  Abraham  answer 
it  with  something  about  Wassmuss.  In  the  shouting 
that  followed  I  caught  the  word  Wassmuss  many 
times. 

Presently  a  Kurdish  chief  came  galloping  down, 
for  all  the  world  as  one  of  our  Indian  mountaineers 
would  ride,  leaping  his  horse  from  rock  to  rock  as  if 
he  and  the  beast  were  one.  I  rode  to  Ranjoor  Singh's 
side,  to  protect  him  if  need  be,  so  I  heard  what  fol- 
lowed, Abraham  translating. 

"Whence  are  ye?"  said  the  Kurd.  "And  whither? 
And  what  will  ye?"  They  are  inquisitive  people,  and 
they  always  seem  to  wish  to  know  those  three  things 
first. 

"I  have  told  you  already,  I  ride  from  Farangistan,* 

*Europe. 


244  •  HIRA  SINGH 

and  I  seek  Wassmuss.  These  are  my  men,"  said  Ran- 
joor  Singh. 

"No  more  may  reach  Wassmuss  unless  they  have 
the  money  with  them!"  said  the  Kurd,  very  trucu- 
lently. "Two  days  ago  we  let  by  the  last  party  of 
men  who  carried  only  talk.  Now  we  want  only 
money  1" 

"Who  was  ever  helped  by  impatience  ?"  asked  Ran- 
joor  Singh. 

"Nay,"  said  the  Kurd,  "we  are  a  patient  folk! 
We  have  waited  eighteen  days  for  sight  of  this  gold 
for  Wassmuss.  It  should  have  been  here  fifteen  days 
ago,  so  Wassmuss  said,  but  we  are  willing  to  wait 
eighteen  more.    Until  it  comes,  none  else  shall  pass !" 

I  was  watching  Ranjoor  Singh  very  closely  indeed, 
and  I  saw  that  he  saw  daylight,  as  it  were,  through 
darkness. 

"Yet  no  gold  shall  come,"  he  answered,  "until  you 
and  I  shall  have  talked  together,  and  shall  have  reached 
an  agreement." 

"Agreement  ?"  said  the  Kurd.  "Ye  have  my  word ! 
Ride  back  and  bid  them  bring  their  gold  in  safety  and 
without  fear!" 

"Without  fear?"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "Then  who 
are  ye  ?" 

"We,"  said  the  Kurd,  "are  the  escort,  to  bring  the 
gold  in  safety  through  the  mountain  passes." 

"So  that  he  may  divide  it  among  others?"  asked 
Ranjoor  Singh,  and  I  saw  the  Kurd  wince.  "Gold  is 
gold!"  he  went  on.  "Who  art  thou  to  let  by  an  op- 
portunity ?" 

"Speak  plain  words,"  said  the  Kurd. 

"Here?"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.    "Here  in  this  defile, 


HIRA  SINGH  245 

where  men  might  come  on  us  from  the  rear  at  any 
minute  ?" 

"That  they  can  not  do,"  the  Kurd  answered,  "for 
my  men  watch  from  overhead." 

"Nevertheless,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "I  will  speak 
no  plain  words  here." 

The  Kurd  looked  long  at  him — at  least  a  whole 
minute.  Then  he  wiped  his  nose  on  the  long  sleeve  of 
his  tunic  and  turned  about.  "Come  in  peace !"  he  said, 
spurring  his  horse. 

Ranjoor  Singh  followed  him,  and  we  followed 
Ranjoor  Singh,  without  one  word  spoken  or  order 
given.  The  Kurd  led  straight  up  the  defile  for  a  little 
way,  then  sharp  to  the  right  and  uphill  along  a  path 
that  wound  among  great  boulders,  until  at  last  we 
halted,  pack-mules  and  all,  in  a  bare  arena  formed 
by  a  high  cliff  at  the  rear  and  on  three  sides  by  gi- 
gantic rocks  that  fringed  it,  making  a  natural  fort. 

The  Kurd's  men  were  mostly  looking  out  from  be- 
tween the  rocks,  but  some  of  them  were  sprawling 
in  the  shadow  of  a  great  boulder  in  the  midst,  and 
some  were  attending  to  the  horses  that  stood  tethered 
in  a  long  line  under  the  cliff  at  the  rear.  The  chief 
drove  away  those  who  lay  in  the  shadow  of  the  boulder 
in  the  midst,  and  bade  Ranjoor  Singh  and  me  and 
Abraham  be  seated.  Ranjoor  Singh  called  up  the' 
other  daffadars,  and  we  all  sat  facing  the  Kurd,  with 
Abraham  a  little  to  one  side  between  him  and  us,  to 
act  interpreter.  That  was  the  first  time  Ranjoor  Singh 
had  taken  so  many  at  once  into  his  confidence  and  I 
took  it  for  a  good  sign,  although  unable  to  ignore  a 
twinge  of  jealousy. 

"Now?"  said  the  Kurd.     "Speak  plain  words!'* 


246  HIRA  SINGH 

"You  have  not  yet  offered  us  food,"  said  Ranjoor 
Singh. 

The  Kurd  stared  hard  at  him,  eye  to  eye.  "I  have 
good  reason,"  he  answered.  "By  our  law,  he  who  eats 
our  bread  can  not  be  treated  as  an  enemy.  If  I  feed 
you,  how  can  I  let  my  men  attack  you  afterward  ?" 

"You  could  not,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "We,  too, 
have  a  law,  that  he  with  whom  we  have  eaten  salt  is 
not  enemy  but  friend.  Let  us  eat  bread  and  salt  to- 
gether, then,  for  I  have  a  plan." 

**A  plan?"  said  the  Kurd.  "What  manner  of  a 
plan  ?    I  await  gold.    What  are  words  ?" 

"A  good  plan,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"And  on  the  strength  of  an  empty  boast  am  I  to  eat 
bread  and  salt  with  you  ?"  the  Kurd  asked. 

"If  you  wish  to  hear  the  plan,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 
"To  my  enemy  I  tell  nothing;  however,  let  my  friend 
but  ask!" 

The  Kurd  thought  a  long  time,  but  we  facing  him 
added  no  word  to  encourage  or  confuse  him.  I  saw 
that  his  curiosity  increased  the  more  the  longer  we 
were  silent;  yet  I  doubt  whether  his  was  greater  than 
my  own!  Can  the  sahib  guess  what  Ranjoor  Singh's 
plan  was?  Nay,  that  Kurd  was  no  great  fool.  He 
was  in  the  dark.  He  saw  swiftly  enough  when  ex- 
planations came. 

"I  have  three  hundred  mounted  men!"  the  Kurd 
said  at  last. 

"And  I  near  as  many!"  answered  Ranjoor  Sin^. 
"I  crave  no  favors!  I  come  with  an  offer,  as  one 
leader  to  another!" 


HIRA  SINGH  247 

The  Kurd  frowned  and  hesitated,  but  sert  at  last 
for  bread  and  salt,  for  all  our  party,  except  that  he 
ordered  his  men  to  give  none  to  our  prisoners  and 
none  to  the  Syrians,  whom  he  mistook  for  Turkish 
soldiers.  If  Ranjoor  Singh  had  told  him  they  were 
Syrians  he  would  have  refused  the  more,  for  Kurds 
regard  Syrians  as  wolves  regard  sheep. 

*Tet  the  prisoners  be,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "but 
feed  those  others!  They  must  help  put  through  the 
plan!" 

So  the  Kurd  ordered  our  Syrians,  whom  he  thought 
Turks,  fed  too,  and  we  dipped  the  flat  bread  (some- 
thing like  our*  Indian  chapatties)  into  salt  and  ate,  fac- 
ing one  another. 

"Now  speak,  and  we  listen,"  said  the  Kurd  when 
we  had  finished.  Some  of  his  men  had  come  back, 
clustering  around  him,  and  we  were  quite  a  party,  fill- 
ing all  the  shadow  of  the  great  rock. 

"How  much  of  that  gold  was  to  have  been  yours  ?" 
asked  Ranjoor  Singh,  and  the  Kurd's  eyes  blazed. 

"Wassmuss  promised  me  so-and-so  much,"  he  an- 
swered, "if  I  with  three  hundred  men  wait  here  for 
the  convoy  and  escort  it  to  where  he  waits." 

"But  why  do  ye  serve  Wassmuss  ?"  asked  Ranjoor 
Singh. 

"Because  he  buys  friendship,  as  other  men  buy 
ghee,  or  a  horse,  or  ammunition,"  said  the  Kurd.  "He 
spends  gold  like  water,  saying  it  is  German  gold,  and 
in  return  for  it  we  must  harry  the  British  and  Rus- 
sians." 

"Yet  you  and  I  are  friends  by  bread  and  salt,"  said 


f48  HIRA  SINGH 

Ranjoor  Singh,  '*and  I  offer  you  all  this  gold,  whereas 
he  offers  only  part  of  it!  Nay,  I  and  my  men  need 
none  of  it— I  offer  it  all  1" 

"At  what  price?"  asked  the  Kurd,  suspiciously. 
Doubtless  men  who  need  no  gold  were  as  rare  among 
these  mountains  as  in  other  places! 

"I  shall  name  a  price,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "A 
low  price.  We  shall  both  be  content  with  our  bargain, 
and  possibly  Wassmuss,  too,  may  feel  satisfied  for  a 
while." 

"Nay,  you  must  be  a  wizard!"  said  the  Kurd. 
"Speak  on!" 

"Tell  me  first,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "about  the 
party  who  went  through  this  defile  two  days  ahead 
of  us." 

"What  do  you  know  of  them?"  asked  the  Kurd. 

"This,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "We  have  followed 
them  from  Mosul,  learning  here  a  little  and  there  a 
little.  What  is  it  that  they  have  with  them?  Who 
are  they  ?    Why  were  they  let  pass  ?" 

"They  were  let  pass  because  Wassmuss  gave  the 
order,"  the  Kurd  answered.  "They  are  Germans — 
six  German  officers,  six  German  servants — and  Kurds 
— twenty- four  Kurds  of  the  plains  acting  porters  and 
camp-servants — many  mules — two  mules  bearing  a  box 
slung  on  poles  between  them." 

"What  was  In  the  box?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Nay,  I  know  not,"  said  the  Kurd. 

"Nevertheless,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "my  brother 
IS  a  man  with  eyes  and  ears.  What  did  my  brother 
hear?" 

"They  said  their  machine  can  send  and  receive  a 


HIRA  SINGH  249 

message  from  places  as  far  apart  as  Khabul  and  Stam- 
boul.     Doubtless  they  lied,"  the  Kurd  answered. 

"Doubtless!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  By  his  slow; 
even  breathing  and  apparent  indifference,  I  knew  he 
was  on  a  hot  scent,  so  I  tried  to  appear  indifferent 
myself,  although  my  ears  burned.  The  Kurds  cluster- 
ing around  their  leader  listened  with  ears  and  eyes 
agape.    They  made  no  secret  of  their  interest. 

"They  said  they  are  on  their  way  to  Khabul,"  the 
Kurd  continued,  "there  to  receive  messages  from 
Europe  and  acquaint  the  amir  and  his  ruling  chiefs  of 
the  true  condition  of  affairs." 

"How  shall  they  reach  Afghanistan?"  asked  Ran- 
joor Singh.  "Does  a  road  through  Persia  lie  open  to 
them?" 

"Nay,"  said  the  Kurd.  "Persia  is  like  a  nest  of 
hornets.  But  they  are  to  receive  an  escort  of  us  Kurds 
to  take  them  through  Persia.  We  mountain  Kurds 
are  not  afraid  of  Persians." 

"Which  Kurds  are  to  provide  the  escort?"  Ranjoor 
Singh  asked  him,  and  the  Kurd  shook  his  head. 

"Nay,"  he  said,  "that  none  can  tell.  It  is  not  yet 
agreed.  There  is  small  competition  for  the  task. 
There  are  better  pickings  here  on  the  border,  raiding 
now  and  then,  and  pocketing  the  gold  of  this  Wass- 
muss  between- whiles !  Who  wants  the  task  of  escort- 
ing a  machine  in  a  box  to  Khabul?" 

"Nevertheless,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "I  know  of  a 
leader  and  his  men  who  will  undertake  the  task." 

"Who,  then?"  said  the  Kurd. 

"I  and  my  men!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh;  and  I  held 
my  breath  until   I   thought  my   lungs   would   burst. 


250  HIRA  SINGH 

"Persia!"  thought  I.  "Afghanistan!"  thought  I. 
"And  what  beyond?" 

"Ye  are  not  Kurds,"  the  chief  answered,  after  he 
had  considered  a  while.  "Wassmuss  said  the  escort 
must  consist  of  three  hundred  Kurds  or  he  will  not 
pay." 

"The  payment  shall  be  arranged  between  me  and 
thee!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "You  shall  have  all  the 
gold  of  this  next  convoy,  if  you  will  ride  back  to  Wass- 
muss and  agree  that  you  and  your  men  shall  be  the 
escort  to  Afghanistan." 

"Who  shall  guard  this  pass  if  I  ride  back?"  the 
Kurd  asked. 

"I  I"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "I  and  my  men  will  wait 
here  for  the  gold.  Leave  me  a  few  of  your  men  to 
be  guides  and  to  keep  peace  between  us  and  other 
Kurds  among  these  mountains.  Ride  and  tell  Wass- 
muss that  the  gold  will  not  come  for  another  thirty 
days." 

"He  will  not  believe,"  said  the  Kurd. 

"I  will  give  you  a  letter,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"He  will  not  believe  the  letter,"  said  the  Kurd. 

"What  is  that  to  thee,  whether  he  believes  it  or 
not?"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "At  least  he  will  believe 
that  Turks  brought  you  the  letter,  and  that  you  took 
it  to  him  in  good  faith.  Will  he  charge  you  with  hav- 
ing written  it?" 

"Nay,"  said  the  Kurd,  nodding,  "I  can  not  write, 
and  he  knows  it." 

"Do  that,  then,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "Ride  and 
agree  to  be  escort  for  these  Germans  and  their  ma- 
chine to  Afghanistan.    Leave  me  here  with  ten  or  a 


HIRA  SINGH  251 

dozen  of  your  men,  who  will  guide  me  after  I  have  the 
gold  to  where  you  shall  be  camping  with  your  Germans 
somewhere  just  beyond  the  Persian  border.  I  will 
arrange  to  overtake  you  after  dusk — ^perhaps  at  mid- 
night. There  I  will  give  you  the  gold,  and  you  shall 
ride  away.  I  and  my  men  will  ride  on  as  escort  to 
the  Germans." 

"What  if  they  object?"  said  the  Kurd. 

"Who?  The  men  with  the  box,  or  Wassmuss?" 
asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Nay,"  said  the  Kurd,  "Wassmuss  will  be  very 
glad  to  get  a  willing  escort.  He  is  in  difficulty  over 
that.  There  will  be  no  objection  from  him.  But 
what  if  the  men  with  the  box  object  to  the  change  of 
escorts  ?" 

"We  be  over  two  hundred,  and  they  thirty!"  an- 
swered Ranjoor  Singh,  and  the  Kurd  nodded. 

"After  all,"  he  said,  "that  is  thy  affair.  But  how 
am  I  to  know  that  you  and  your  men  will  not  ride  off 
with  the  gold  ?    Nay,  I  must  have  the  gold  first !" 

Ranjoor  Singh  shook  his  head. 

**Then  I  and  my  men  will  stay  here  and  help  seize 
the  gold,"  the  Kurd  said  meaningly. 

"Nay!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "For  then  you  would 
fight  me  for  it !" 

"Thou  and  I  have  eaten  bread  and  salt  together!" 
said  the  Kurd. 

"True,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "therefore  trust  me, 
for  I  am  a  Sikh  from  India." 

"I  know  nothing  of  Sikhs,  or  of  India,"  said  the 
Kurd.  "Gold  I  know  in  the  dark,  by  its  jingle  and 
weight,  but  who  knows  the  heart  of  a  man  ?" 


252  HIRA  SINGH 

"Then  listen,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "If  you  and 
your  men  seize  the  gold,  you  must  bear  the  blame. 
When  the  Turks  come  later  on  for  vengeance,  you 
will  hang.  But  if  I  stay  and  tal<e  the  gold,  who  shall 
know  who  I  am?  You  will  be  able  to  prove  with  the 
aid  of  Wassmuss  that  neither  you  nor  your  men  were 
anywhere  near  when  the  attack  took  place." 

"Then  you  will  make  an  ambush?"  said  the  Kurd. 

"I  will  set  a  trap,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "More- 
over, consider  this:  You  think  I  may  take  the  gold 
and  keep  it.  How  could  I?  Having  taken  it  from 
the  Turks,  should  I  ride  back  toward  Turkey? 
Whither  else,  then?  Shall  I  escape  through  Persia, 
with  you  and  your  Kurds  to  prevent?  Nay,  we  must 
make  a  fair  bargain  as  friend  with  friend — and  keep 
it!" 

"If  I  do  as  you  say,"  said  the  Kurd,  "if  I  take 
this  letter  to  Wassmuss,  and  agree  with  him  to  escort 
those  Germans  across  Persia,  what,  then,  if  you  fail 
to  get  the  gold?  What  if  the  Turks  get  the  better  of 
you?" 

"Dead  men  can  not  keep  bargains !"  answered  Ran- 
joor Singh.  "I  shall  succeed  or  die.  But  consider 
again :  I  have  led  these  men  of  mine  hither  from  Stam- 
boul,  deceiving  and  routing  and  outdistancing 
Turkish  regiments  all  the  way.  Shall  I  fail  now,  hav- 
ing come  so  far?" 

"Insha*  Allah!"  said  the  Kurd,  meaning,  "If  God 
wills." 

"Since  when  did  God  take  sides  against  the 
brave?"  Ranjoor  Singh  asked  him,  and  the  Kurd  said 
nothing;  but  I  feared  greatly  because  they  seemed  on 


HIRA  SINGH  253 

the  verge  of  a  religious  argument,  and  those  Kurds 
are  fanatics.  If  anything  but  gold  had  been  in  the 
balance  against  him,  I  believe  that  Kurd  would  have 
defied  us,  for,  although  he  did  not  know  what  Sikhs 
might  be,  he  knew  us  for  no  Musselmen.  I  saw  his 
eyes  look  inward,  meditating  treachery,  not  only  to 
Wassmuss,  but  to  us,  too.  But  Ranjoor  Singh  de- 
tected that  quicker  than  I  did. 

"Let  us  neglect  no  points,"  he  said,  and  the  Kurd 
brought  his  mind  back  with  an  effort  from  considering 
plans  against  us.  "It  would  be  possible  for  me  to  get 
that  gold,  and  for  other  Kurds — not  you  or  your  men, 
of  course,  but  other  Kurds — ^to  waylay  me  in  the 
mountains.  Therefore  let  part  of  the  agreement  be 
that  you  leave  with  me  ten  hostages,  of  whom  two 
shall  be  your  blood  relations." 

The  Kurd  winced.  He  was  a  little  keen  man,  with 
a  thin  face  and  prominent  nose;  not  ill-looking,  but 
extremely  acquisitive,  I  should  say. 

"Wassmuss  holds  my  brother  hostage!"  he  an- 
swered grimly,  as  if  he  had  just  then  thought  of  it. 

"I  have  a  German  prisoner  here,"  said  Ranjoor 
Singh,  with  the  nearest  approach  to  a  smile  that  he 
had  permitted  himself  yet,  "and  Wassmuss  will  be 
very  glad  to  exchange  him  against  your  brother  when 
the  time  comes." 

"Ah !"  said  the  Kurd,  and— 

"Ah!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  He  saw  now  which 
way  the  wind  blew,  and,  like  all  born  cavalry  leaders, 
he  pressed  his  advantage. 

"Do  the  Turks  hold  any  of  your  men  prisoner?" 
he  asked. 


254  HIRA  SINGH 

"Aye!"  said  the  Kurd.  "They  hold  an  uncle  of 
mine,  and  my  half-brother,  and  seven  of  my  best  men. 
They  keep  them  in  jail  in  fetters." 

"I  have  five  Turkish  prisoners,  all  officers,  one  a 
bimbashi,  whom  I  will  give  you  when  I  hand  over  the 
gold.  The  Turks  will  gladly  trade  your  men  against 
their  officers,"  Ranjoor  Singh  assured  him.  "You 
shall  have  them  and  the  German  to  make  your  trade 
with." 

It  was  plain  the  Kurd  was  more  than  half -con- 
vinced. His  men  who  swarmed  around  him  were  urg- 
ing him  in  whispers.  Doubtless  they  knew  he  would 
keep  most,  if  not  all,  of  the  gold  for  himself,  but  the 
safety  of  their  friends  made  more  direct  appeal  and 
I  don't  think  he  would  have  dared  neglect  that  oppor- 
tunity for  fear  of  losing  their  allegiance.  Neverthe- 
less, he  bargained  to  the  end. 

"Give  me,  then,  ten  hostages  against  my  ten,  and 
we  are  agreed!"  he  urged. 

"Nay,  nay!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "It  is  my  task 
to  fight  for  that  gold.  Shall  I  weaken  my  force  by  ten 
men?  Nay,  we  are  already  few  enough!  I  will  give 
you  one — ^to  be  exchanged  against  your  ten  at  the  time 
of  giving  up  the  gold  in  Persia." 

"Ten !"  said  the  Kurd.    "Ten  against  ten !" 

"One!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  and  I  thought  they 
would  quarrel  and  the  whole  plan  would  come  to  noth- 
ing.   But  the  Kurd  gave  in. 

"Then  one  officer !"  said  the  Kurd,  and  I  trembled, 
for  I  saw  that  Ranjoor  Singh  intended  to  agree  to 
that,  and  I  feared  he  might  pick  me.  But  no.  If  I 
had  thought  a  minute  I  would  not  have  feared,  yet 


HIRA  SINGH  255 

who  thinks  at  such  times?  The  men  who  think  first 
of  their  charge  and  last  of  their  own  skin  are  such  as 
Ranjoor  Singh;  a  year  after  war  begins  they  are  still 
leading.  The  rest  of  us  must  either  be  content  to  be 
led,  or  else  are  superseded.  I  burst  into  a  sweat  all 
over,  for  all  that  a  cold  wind  swept  among  the  rocks. 
Yet  I  might  have  known  I  was  not  to  be  spared. 

After  two  seconds,  that  seemed  two  hours,  he  said 
to  the  Kurd,  "Very  well.  We  are  agreed.  I  will  give 
you  one  of  my  officers  against  ten  of  your  men.  I 
will  give  you  Gooja  Singh!"  said  he. 

Sahib,  I  could  have  rolled  among  the  rocks  and 
laughed.  The  look  of  rage  mingled  with  amazement 
on  Gooja  Singh's  fat  face  was  payment  enough  for 
all  the  insults  I  had  received  from  him.  I  could  not 
conceal  all  my  merriment.  Doubtless  my  eyes  betrayed 
me.  I  doubt  not  they  blazed.  Gooja  Singh  was  sit- 
ting on  the  other  side  of  Ranjoor  Singh,  partly  facing 
me,  so  that  he  missed  nothing  of  what  passed  over  my 
face — ^as  I  scarcely  intended  that  he  should.  And  in 
a  moment  my  mirth  was  checked  by  sight  of  his  awful 
wrath.    His  face  had  turned  many  shades  darker. 

"I  am  to  be  hostage  ?"  he  said  in  a  voice  like  grind- 
ing stone. 

"Aye,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "Be  a  proud  one! 
They  have  had  to  give  ten  men  to  weigh  against  you 
in  the  scale!" 

"And  I  am  to  go  away  with  them  all  by  myself  into 
the  mountains?" 

"Aye,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "Why  not?  We  hold 
ten  of  theirs  against  your  safe  return." 

"Goodl     Then  I  will  go!"  he  answered,  and  I 


256  HIRA  SINGH 

knew  by  the  black  look  on  his  face  and  by  the  dull 
rage  in  his  voice  that  he  would  harm  us  if  he  could. 
But  there  was  no  time  just  then  to  try  to  dissuade  Ran- 
joor  Singh  from  his  purpose,  even  had  I  dared.  There 
began  to  be  great  argument  about  the  ten  hostages  the 
Kurd  should  give,  Ranjoor  Singh  examining  each  one 
with  the  aid  of  Abraham,  rejecting  one  man  after 
another  as  not  sufficiently  important,  and  it  was  two 
hours  before  ten  Kurds  that  satisfied  him  stood  un- 
armed in  our  midst.  Then  he  gave  up  Gooja  Singh 
in  exchange  for  them;  and  Gooja  Singh  walked  away 
among  the  Kurds  without  so  much  as  a  backward  look, 
or  a  word  of  good-by,  or  a  salute. 

"He  should  be  punished  for  not  saluting  you,"  said 
I,  going  to  Ranjoor  Singh's  side.  "It  is  a  bad  example 
to  the  troopers." 

''Kiich—kuch—;'  said  he.  "No  trouble.  Black 
hearts  beget  black  deeds.  White  hearts,  good  deeds. 
Maybe  we  all  misjudged  him.  Let  him  prove  whether 
he  is  true  at  heart  or  not." 

Observe,  sahib,  how  he  identified  himself  with  us, 
although  he  knew  well  that  all  except  I  until  recently 
had  denied  him  title  to  any  other  name  than  traitor. 
"Maybe  we  all  misjudged,"  said  he,  as  much  as  to 
say,  "What  my  men  have  done,  I  did."  So  you  may,tell 
the  difference  between  a  great  man  and  a  mean  one. 

"Better  have  hanged  him  long  ago !"  said  I.  "He 
will  be  the  ruin  of  us  yet  1"    But  he  laughed. 

"Sahib,"  I  said.  "Suppose  he  should  get  to  see 
this  Wassmuss?" 

"I  have  thought  of  that,"  he  answered.  "Why 
should  the  Kurds  let  him  go  near  Wassmuss  ?  Unless 
they  return  him  safely  to  us  we  can  execute  their  hos- 


HIRA  SINGH  257 

tages;  they  will  run  no  risk  of  Wassmuss  playing 
tricks  with  Gooja  Singh.  Besides,  from  what  I  can 
learn  and  guess  from  what  the  Kurds  say,  this  Wass- 
muss is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  prisoner.  Another 
tribe  of  Kurds,  pretending  to  protect  him,  keep  him 
very  closely  guarded.  The  best  he  can  do  is  to  play 
off  one  tribe  against  another.  Our  friend  said  Wass- 
muss holds  his  brother  for  hostage,  but  I  think  the 
fact  is  the  other  tribe  holds  him  and  Wassmuss  gets 
the  blame.  I  suspect  they  held  our  friend's  brother 
as  security  for  the  gold  he  is  to  meet  and  escort  back. 
There  is  much  politics  working  in  these  mountains." 

"Much  politics  and  little  hope  for  us !"  said  I,  and 
at  that  he  turned  on  me  as  he  never  had  done  yet. 
No,  sahib,  I  never  saw  him  turn  on  any  man,  nor 
speak  as  savagely  as  he  did  to  me  then.  It  was  as  if 
the  floodgates  of  his  weariness  were  down  at  last  and 
I  got  a  glimpse  of  what  he  suffered — ^he  who  dared 
trust  no  one  all  these  months  and  miles. 

"Did  I  not  say  months  ago,"  he  mocked,  "that  if  I 
told  you  half  my  plan  you  would  quail?  And  that  if 
I  told  the  whole,  you  would  pick  it  to  pieces  like  hens 
round  a  scrap  of  meat  ?  Man  without  thought !  Can 
I  not  see  the  dangers  ?  Have  I  no  eyes — ^no  ears  ?  Do 
I  need  a  frog  to  croak  to  me  of  risks  whichever  way 
I  turn  ?  Do  I  need  men  to  hang  back,  or  men  to  lend 
me  courage?" 

"Who  hangs  back?"  said  I.  "Nay,  forward!  I 
will  die  beside  you,  sahib !" 

"I  seek  life  for  you  all,  not  death,"  he  answered, 
but  he  spoke  so  sadly  that  I  think  in  that  minute  his 
hope  and  faith  were  at  lowest  ebb. 

"Nevertheless,"  I  answered,  "if  need  be,  I  will  die 


?58  HIRA  SINGH 

beside  you.    I  will  not  hang  back.    Order,  and  I  obey !" 
But  he  looked  at  me  as  if  he  doubted. 

"Boasting,"  he  said,  "is  the  noise  fools  make  to 
conceal  from  themselves  their  failings!" 

What  could  I  answer  to  that  ?  I  sat  down  and  con- 
sidered the  rebuff,  while  he  went  and  made  great 
preparation  for  an  execution  and  a  Turkish  funeral. 
So  that  there  was  little  extra  argument  required  to 
induce  one  of  our  Turkish  officer  prisoners — the  bim- 
bashi  himself,  in  fact — to  write  the  letter  to  Wassm.uss 
that  Ranjoor  Singh  required.  And  that  he  gave  to 
the  Kurdish  chief,  and  the  Kurd  rode  away  with  his 
men,  not  looking  once  back  at  the  hostages  he  had 
left  with  us,  but  making  a  great  show  of  guarding 
Gooja  Singh,  who  rode  unarmed  in  the  center  of  a 
group  of  horsemen.  That  instant  I  began  to  feel  sorry 
for  Gooja  Singh,  and  later,  when  we  advanced  through 
those  blood-curdling  mountains  I  was  sorrier  yet  to 
think  of  him  borne  away  alone  amid  savages  whose 
tongue  he  could  not  speak.  The  men  all  felt  sorry  for 
him  too,  but  Ranjoor  Singh  gave  them  little  time  for 
talk  about  it,  setting  them  at  once  to  various  tasks,  not 
least  of  which  was  cleaning  rifles  for  inspection. 

I  took  Abraham  to  interpret  for  me  and  wenf  to 
talk  with  our  ten  hostages,  who  were  herded  together 
apart  from  the  other  ten  armed  Kurds.  They  seemed 
to  regard  themselves  as  in  worse  plight  than  prisoners 
and  awaited  with  resignation  whatever  might  be  their 
kismet.  So  I  asked  them  were  they  afraid  lest  Gooja: 
Singh  might  meet  with  violence,  and  they  replied  they 
were  afraid  of  nothing.    They  added,  however,  that 


HIRA  SINGH  259 

no  man  could  say  in  those  mountains  what  this  day  or 
the  next  might  bring  forth. 

Then  I  asked  them  about  Wassmuss,  and  they 
rather  confirmed  Ranjoor  Singh's  guess  about  his  be- 
ing practically  a  prisoner.  They  said  he  was  ever  on 
the  move,  surrounded  and  very  closely  watched  by  the 
particular  tribe  of  Kurds  that  had  possession  of  him 
for  the  moment. 

"First  it  is  one  tribe,  then  another,"  they  told  me. 
"If  you  keep  your  bargain  with  our  chief  and  he  gets 
this  gold,  we  shall  have  Wassmuss,  too,  within  a  week, 
for  we  shall  buy  the  allegiance  of  one  or  two  more 
tribes  to  join  with  us  and  oust  those  Kurds  who  hold 
him  now.  Hitherto  the  bulk  of  his  gold  has  been  going 
into  Persia  to  bribe  the  Bakhtiari  Khans  and  such  like, 
but  that  day  is  gone  by.  Now  we  Kurds  will  grow 
rich.  But  as  for  us" — ^they  shrugged  their  shoulders 
like  this,  sahib,  meaning  to  say  that  perhaps  their  day 
had  gone  by  also.  I  left  them  with  the  impression 
they  are  very  fatalistic  folk. 

There  was  no  means  of  knowing  how  long  we 
might  have  to  wait  there,  so  Ranjoor  Singh  gave 
orders  for  the  best  shelter  possible  to  be  prepared, 
and  what  with  the  cave  at  the  rear,  and  plundered 
blankets,  and  one  thing  and  another  we  contrived  a 
camp  that  was  almost  comfortable.  What  troubled 
us  most  was  shortage  of  fire- wood,  and  we  had  to 
send  out  foraging  parties  in  every  direction  at  no 
small  risk.  The  Kurds,  like  our  mountain  men  of 
northern  India,  leave  such  matters  to  their  women- 
folk, and  there  was  more  than  one  voice  raised  in 


260  HIRA  SINGH 

anger  at  Ranjoor  Singh  because  he  had  not  allowed 
us  to  capture  women  as  well  as  food  and  horses.  Our 
Turkish  prisoners  laughed  at  us  for  not  having  stolen 
women,  and  Tugendheim  vowed  he  had  never  seen 
such  fools. 

But  as  it  turned  out,  we  had  not  long  to  wait.  That 
very  evening,  as  I  watched  from  between  two  great 
boulders,  I  beheld  a  Turkish  convoy  of  about  six  hun- 
dred infantry,  led  by  a  bimbashi  on  a  gray  horse,  with 
a  string  of  pack-mules  trailing  out  behind  them,  and 
five  loaded  donkeys  led  by  soldiers  in  the  midst.  They 
were  heading  toward  the  hills,  and  I  sent  a  man  run- 
ning to  bring  Ranjoor  Singh  to  watch  them. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  they  meant  to  camp 
on  the  plains  for  that  night.  They  had  tents  with 
them,  and  they  pitched  a  camp  three-quarters  of  a 
mile,  or  perhaps  a  mile  away  from  the  mouth  of  our 
defile,  at  a  place  where  a  little  stream  ran  between 
rocks.  It  was  clear  they  suspected  no  treachery,  or 
they  would  never  have  chosen  that  place,  they  being 
but  six  hundred  and  the  hills  full  of  Kurds  so  close  at 
hand.  Nevertheless,  they  were  very  careful  to  set 
sentries  on  all  the  rocks  all  about,  and  they  gave  us  no 
ground  for  thinking  we  might  take  them  by  surprise. 
Seeing  they  outnumbered  us,  and  we  had  to  spare  a 
guard  for  our  prisoners  and  hostages,  and  that  fifty 
of  our  force  were  Syrians  and  therefore  not  much 
use,  I  felt  doubtful.  I  thought  Ranjoor  Singh  felt 
doubtful,  too,  until  I  saw  him  glance  repeatedly  be- 
hind and  study  the  sky.  Then  I  began  to  hope  as 
furiously  as  he. 

The  Turks  down  on  the  plain  were  studying  the 


HIRA  SINGH  261 

sky,  too.  We  could  see  them  fix  bayonets  and  make 
little  trenches  about  the  tents.  Another  party  of  them 
gathered  stones  with  which  to  reen force  the  tent  pegs, 
and  in  every  other  way  possible  they  made  ready 
against  one  of  those  swift,  sudden  storms  that  so  often 
burst  down  the  sides  of  mountains.  Most  of  us  had 
experienced  such  storms  a  dozen  times  or  more  in 
the  foot-hills  of  our  Himalayas,  and  all  of  us  knew 
the  signs.  As  evening  fell  the  sky  to  our  rear  grew 
blacker  than  night  itself  and  a  chill  swept  down  the 
defile  like  the  finger  of  death. 

**Repack  the  camp,"  commanded  Ranjoor  Singh. 
"Stow  everything  in  the  cave." 

There  v^^^  grumbling,  for  we  had  all  looked  for- 
ward to  a  warm  night's  rest. 

"To-night  your  hearts  must  warm  you!"  he  said, 
striding  to  and  fro  to  make  sure  his  orders  were 
obeyed.  It  was  dark  by  the  time  we  had  finished. 
Then  he  made  us  fall  in,  in  our  ragged  overcoats — 
aye,  ragged,  for  those  German  overcoats  had  served 
as  coats  and  tents  and  what-not,  and  were  not  made 
to  stand  the  wear  of  British  ones  in  any  case — un- 
mounted he  made  us  fall  in,  at  which  there  was 
grumbling  again. 

"Ye  shall  prove  to-night,"  he  said,  "whether  ye 
can  endure  what  mules  and  horses  never  could! 
[Warmth  ye  shall  have,  if  your  hearts  are  true,  but  the 
^an  who  can  keep  dry  shall  be  branded  for  a  wiz- 
,ard !    Imagine  yourselves  back  in  Flanders !" 

Most  of  us  shuddered.  I  know  I  did.  The  wind 
had  begun  whimpering,  and  every  now  and  then  would 
whistle  and  rise  into  a  scream.    A  few  drops  of  heavy 


262  HIRA  SINGH 

rain  fell.  Then  would  come  a  lull,  while  we  could 
feel  the  air  grow  colder.  Our  Flanders  experience 
was  likely  to  stand  us  in  good  stead. 

Tugendheim  and  the  Syrians  were  left  in  charge 
of  our  belongings.  There  was  nothing  else  to  do  with 
them  because  the  Syrians  were  in  more  deathly  fear 
of  the  storm  than  they  ever  had  been  of  Turks. 
Nevertheless,  we  did  not  find  them  despicable.  Un- 
military  people  though  they  were,  they  had  marched 
and  endured  and  labored  like  good  men,  but  certain 
things  they  seemed  to  accept  as  being  more  than  men 
could  overcome,  and  this  sort  of  storm  apparently 
was  one  of  them.  We  tied  the  mules  and  horses  very 
carefully,  because  we  did  not  believe  the  Syrians 
would  stand  by  when  the  storm  began,  and  we  were 
right.  Tugendheim  begged  hard  to  be  allowed  to 
come  with  us,  but  Ranjoor  Singh  would  not  let  him. 
I  don't  know  why,  but  I  think  he  suspected  Tugend- 
heim of  knowing  something  about  the  German  officers 
who  were  ahead  of  us,  in  which  case  Tugendheim 
was  likely  to  risk  anything  rather  than  continue  go- 
ing forward;  and,  having  promised  him  to  the  Kurd- 
ish chief,  it  would  not  have  suited  Ranjoor  Singh  to 
let  him  escape  into  Turkey  again. 

The  ten  Kurds  who  had  been  left  with  us  as 
guides  and  to  help  us  keep  peace  among  the  moun- 
tains all  volunteered  to  lend  a  hand  in  the  fight,  and 
Ranjoor  Singh  accepted  gladly.  The  hostages,  on 
the  other  hand,  were  a  difficult  problem ;  for  they  de- 
tested being  hostages.  They  would  have  made  fine 
allies  for  Tugendheim,  supposing  he  had  meditated 
any  action  in  our  rear.    They  could  have  guided  him 


HIRA  SINGH  263 

iamong  the  mountains  with  all  our  horses  and  mules 
and  supplies.  And  suppose  he  had  made  up  his  mind 
to  start  through  the  storm  to  find  Wassmuss  with  their 
aid,  what  could  have  prevented  him?  He  might  be- 
tray us  to  Wassmuss  as  the  price  of  his  own  forgive- 
ness. So  we  took  the  hostages  with  us,  and  when 
we  found  a  place  between  some  rocks  where  they 
could  have  shelter  we  drove  them  in  there,  setting 
four  troopers  to  guard  them.  Thus  Tugendheim  was 
kept  in  ignorance  of  their  whereabouts,  and  with  no 
guides  to  help  him  play  us  false.  As  for  the  Greek 
doctor,  we  took  him  with  us,  too,  for  we  were  likely 
to  need  his  services  that  night,  and  in  truth  we  did. 

We  started  the  instant  the  storm  began — ^twenty 
minutes  or  more  before  it  settled  down  to  rage  in 
earnest.  That  enabled  us  to  march  about  two-thirds 
of  the  way  toward  the  Turkish  camp  and  to  deploy 
into  proper  formation  before  the  hail  came  and  made 
it  impossible  to  hear  even  a  shout.  Hitherto  the  rain 
had  screened  us  splendidly,  although  it  drenched  us 
to  the  skin,  and  the  noise  of  rain  and  wind  prevented 
the  noise  we  made  from  giving  the  alarm;  but  when 
the  hail  began  I  could  not  hear  my  own  foot-fall. 
Ranjoor  Singh  roared  out  the  order  to  double  forward, 
but  could  make  none  hear,  so  he  seized  a  rifle  from 
the  nearest  man  and  fired  it  off.  Perhaps  a  dozen  men 
heard  that  and  began  to  double.  The  remainder  saw, 
and  followed  suit. 

The  hail  was  in  our  backs.  No  man  ever  lived 
who  could  have  charged  forward  into  it,  and  not  one 
of  the  Turkish  sentries  made  pretense  at  anything  but 
running  for  his  life.     Long  before  we  reached  their 


264  HIRA  SINGH 

posts  they  were  gone,  and  a  flash  of  lightning  showed 
the  tents  blown  tighter  than  drums  in  the  gaining 
wind  and  white  with  the  hailstones.  When  we  reached 
the  tents  there  was  hail  already  half  a  foot  deep  un- 
derfoot where  the  wind  had  blown  it  into  drifts,  and 
the  next  flash  of  lightning  showed  one  tent — the  bim- 
bashi's  own — split  open  and  blown  fluttering  into 
strips.  The  bimbashi  rushed  out  with  a  blanket  round 
his  head  and  shoulders  and  tried  to  kick  men  out  of 
another  tent  to  make  room  for  him,  and  failing  to  do 
that  he  scrambled  in  on  top  of  them.  Opening  the  tent 
let  the  wind  in,  and  that  tent,  too,  split  and  fluttered 
and  blew  away.     And  so  at  last  they  saw  us  coming. 

They  saw  us  when  we  were  so  close  that  there  was 
no  time  to  do  much  else  than  run  away  or  surrender. 
Quite  a  lot  of  them  ran  away  I  imagine,  for  they  dis- 
appeared. The  bimbashi  tried  to  pistol  Ranjoor 
Singh,  and  died  for  his  trouble  on  a  trooper's  bay- 
onet. Some  of  the  Turks  tried  to  fight,  and  they  were 
killed.  Those  who  surrendered  were  disarmed  and 
driven  away  into  the  storm,  and  the  last  we  saw  of 
them  was  when  a  flash  of  lightning  showed  them  hur- 
rying helter-skelter  through  the  hail  with  hands  be- 
hind their  defenseless  heads  trying  to  ward  off  hail- 
stones. They  looked  very  ridiculous,  and  I  remem- 
ber I  laughed. 

I?  My  share  of  it?  A  Turkish  soldier  tried  to 
drive  a  bayonet  through  me.  I  think  he  was  the  last 
one  left  in  camp  (the  whole  business  can  only  have 
lasted  three  or  four  minutes,  once  we  were  among 
them).  I  shot  him  with  the  repeating  pistol  that  had 
once  been  Tugendheim's — this   one,   see,   sahib — ^and 


HIRA  SINGH  265 

believing  the  camp  was  now  ours  and  the  fighting 
over,  I  lay  down  and  dragged  his  body  over  me  to 
save  me  from  hailstones,  that  had  made  me  ache  al- 
ready in  every  inch  of  my  body.  I  rolled  under  and 
pulled  the  body  over  in  one  movement;  and  seeing 
the  body  and  thinking  a  Turk  was  crawling  up  to 
attack  him,  one  of  our  troopers  thrust  his  bayonet 
clean  through  it.  It  was  a  goodly  thrust,  delivered 
by  a  man  who  prided  himself  on  being  workmanlike. 
If  the  Turk  had  not  been  a  fat  one  I  should  not  be 
here.  Luckily,  I  had  chosen  one  whose  weight  made 
me  grunt,  and  because  of  his  thickness  the  bayonet 
only  pierced  an  inch  or  two  of  my  thigh. 

I  yelled  and  kicked  the  body  off  me.  The  trooper 
made  as  if  to  use  the  steel  again,  thinking  we  were 
two  Turks,  and  my  pointing  a  pistol  at  him  only 
served  to  confirm  the  belief.  But  next  minute  the 
lightning  showed  the  true  facts,  and  he  came  and  sat 
beside  me  with  his  back  to  the  hail,  grinning  like  ar* 
ape. 

"That  was  a  good  thrust  of  mine !"  he  bellowed  in 
my  ear.  "But  for  me  that  Turk  would  have  had 
your  life !" 

When  I  had  cursed  his  mother's  ancestors  for  a 
dozen  generations  in  some  detail  the  truth  dawned 
on  him  at  last.  I  took  his  weapon  away  from  him 
while  he  bound  a  strip  of  cloth  about  my  thigh,  for  I 
knew  the  thought  had  come  into  his  thick  skull  to 
finish  me  off  and  so  save  explanation  afterward.  I 
would  gladly  have  let  him  go  with  nothing  further 
said,  for  I  knew  the  man's  first  intention  had  been 
honest  enough,  but  did  not  dare  do  that  because  he 


266  HIRA  SINGH 

would  certainly  suppose  me  to  be  meditating  ven- 
geance. So  I  flew  into  a  great  rage  with  him,  and 
drove  him  in  front  of  me  until  we  found  a  dead  mule 
— whether  killed  by  hail  or  bullet  I  don't  know — and 
he  and  I  lay  between  the  mule's  legs,  snuggling  under 
its  belly,  until  the  storm  should  cease  and  I  could 
take  him  before  Ranjoor  Singh. 

I  did  not  know  where  the  gold  was,  nor  where 
anything  or  anybody  was.  I  could  see  about  three 
yards,  except  when  the  lightning  flashed;  and  then 
I  could  see  only  stricken  plain,  with  dead  animals 
lying  about,  and  fallen  tents  lumpy  with  the  men  who 
huddled  underneath,  and  here  and  there  a  live  animal 
with  his  rump  to  the  hail  and  head  between  his  fore- 
legs. 

When  the  storm  ceased,  suddenly,  as  all  such 
mountain  hail-storms  do,  I  ordered  my  trooper  in 
front  of  me  and  went  limping  through  the  darkness 
shouting  for  Ranjoor  Singh,  and  I  found  him  at  last, 
sitting  on  the  rump  of  a  dead  donkey  with  the  ten 
boxes  of  gold  coin  beside  him — quite  little  boxes,  yet 
only  two  to  a  donkey  load. 

"I  have  the  gold,"  he  said.    "What  have  you?" 

"A  stab,"  said  I,  "and  the  fool  who  gave  it  me!" 
And  I  showed  my  leg,  with  the  blood  trickling  down. 
"I  had  killed  a  Turk,"  said  I,  "and  this  muddlehead 
with  no  discernment  had  the  impudence  to  try  to  fin- 
ish the  job.    Behold  the  result!" 

He  was  one  great  bruise  from  head  to  foot  from 
hailstones,  yet  with  all  he  had  to  think  about  and  all 
his  aches,  he  had  understanding  enough  to  spare  for 
my  little  problem.    He  saw  at  once  that  he  must  pun- 


HIRA  SINGH  267 

ish  the  man  in  order  to  convince  him  his  account 
with  me  was  settled. 

"Be  driver  of  asses,"  he  ordered,  "until  we  reach 
Persia!  There  were  five  asses.  One  is  dead.  It  is 
good  we  have  another  to  replace  the  fifth  V* 

There  goes  the  trooper,  sahib — he  yonder  with 
the  limp.  He  and  I  are  as  good  friends  to-day  as  daf- 
fadar  and  trooper  can  be,  but  he  would  have  slain  me 
to  save  himself  from  vengeance  unless  Ranjoor  Singh 
had  punished  him  that  night.  But  my  tale  is  not  of 
that  trooper,  nor  of  myself.  I  tell  of  Ranjoor  Singh. 
Consider  him,  sahib,  seated  on  the  dead  ass  beside  ten 
chests  of  captured  gold,  with  scarcely  a  man  of  us 
fit  to  help  him  or  obey  an  order,  and  himself  bleeding 
in  fifty  places  where  the  hail  had  pierced  his  skin. 
We  were  drenched  and  numbed,  with  the  spirit  beaten 
out  of  us ;  yet  I  tell  you  he  wiped  the  blood  from  his 
nose  and  beard  and  made  us  save  ourselves ! 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Once  in  a  lifetime.  Once  is  enough! — Hira  Singh. 

Well,  sahib,  our  journey  was  not  nearly  at  an  end, 
but  my  tale  is ;  I  can  finish  it  by  sundown.  After  that 
fight  there  was  no  more  doubt  of  us;  we  were  one 
again — one  in  our  faith  in  our  leader,  and  with  men 
so  minded  such  a  man  as  Ranjoor  Singh  can  make 
miracles  seem  like  details  of  a  day's  work. 

Turks  who  had  been  bayoneted  and  Turks  slain 
by  hailstones  lay  all  about  us,  and  we  should  have 
been  dead,  too,  only  that  the  hail  was  in  our  backs. 
As  it  was,  ten  of  our  men  lay  killed  and  more  than 
thirty  stunned,  some  of  whom  did  not  recover.  Our 
little  Greek  doctor  announced  himself  too  badly  in- 
jured to  help  any  one,  but  when  Ranjoor  Singh  be- 
gan to  choose  a  firing  party  for  him,  he  changed  his 
mind. 

The  four  living  donkeys  were  too  bruised  by  the 
hail  to  bear  a  load,  but  the  Turks  had  had  some  mules 
with  them  and  we  loaded  our  dead  and  wounded  on 
those,  gathered  up  the  plunder,  told  ofif  four  troopers 
to  each  chest  of  gold,  and  dragged  ourselves  away.  It 
was  essential  that  we  get  back  to  the  hills  before  dawn 
should  disclose  our  predicament,  for  whatever  Kurds 
should  chance  to  spy  us  would  never  have  been 
restrained  by  promises  or  by  ritual  of  friendship  from 
taking  prompt  advantage.    A  savage  is  a  savage. 

The  moon  came  out  from  behind  clouds,  and  we 
268 


HIRA  SINGH  269 

cursed  it,  for  we  did  not  want  to  be  seen.  It  shone 
on  a  world  made  white  with  hail— on  a  stricken  camp 
—dead  animals — dead  men.  We  who  had  swept  down 
from  the  hills  like  the  very  spirit  of  the  storm  itself 
returned  like  a  funeral  cortege,  all  groaning,  chilled 
to  the  bone  by  the  searching  wind,  and  it  was  begin- 
ning to  be  dawn  when  the  last  man  dragged  himself 
between  the  boulders  into  our  camping  ground.  We 
looked  so  little  like  victors  that  the  Syrians  sent  up  a 
wail  and  Tugendheim  began  tugging  at  his  mustaches, 
but  Ranjoor  Singh  set  them  at  once  to  feeding  and 
grooming  animals  and  soon  disillusioned  them  as  to 
the  outcome  of  the  night. 

Now  we  began  to  pray  for  time,  to  recover  from 
the  effects  of  hail  and  chill.  Some  of  the  men  began 
to  develop  fevers,  and  if  Ranjoor  Singh  had  not 
fiercely  threatened  the  doctor,  things  might  have  gone 
from  bad  to  worse.  As  it  was,  three  men  died  of 
something  the  matter  with  their  lungs,  and  five  men 
died  of  wounds.  Yet,  on  the  other  hand,  we  did  not 
desire  too  much  time,  because  (surest  of  all  certain- 
ties) the  Turks  were  going  to  send  regiments  in  a 
hurry  to  wreak  vengeance.  Before  noon,  somebody 
rallied  the  remnants  of  the  convoy  we  had  beaten  and 
brought  them  back  to  bury  dead  and  look  for 
property,  and  they  looked  quite  a  formidable  body  as 
I  watched  them  from  between  the  boulders.  They 
soon  went  away  again,  having  found  nothing  but 
tents  torn  to  rags ;  but  I  counted  more  than  four  hun- 
dred, which  rather  lessened  my  conceit.  It  had  been 
the  storm  that  night  that  did  the  work,  not  we. 

We  could  not  bum  our  dead,  for  lack  of  sufficient 


270  HIRA  SINGH 

wood,  although  we  drove  the  Syrians  out  of  camp  to 
gather  more ;  so  we  buried  them  in  a  trench,  and  cov- 
ered them,  and  laid  little  fires  at  intervals  along  the 
new-stamped  earth  and  set  light  to  those.  We  did 
not  bury  them  very  deep,  because  a  bayonet  is  a  fool 
of  a  weapon  with  which  to  excavate  a  grave  and  a 
Syrian  no  expert  digger  in  any  case ;  so  when  the  fires 
were  burned  out  we  piled  rocks  on  the  grave  to  defeat 
jackals. 

The  Kurdish  chief  returned  on  the  fifth  day  and 
by  that  time,  although  most  of  us  still  ached,  some  of 
us  looked  like  men  again,  and  what  with  the  plunder 
we  had  taken,  and  the  chests  of  gold  in  full  view,  he 
was  well  impressed.  He  began  by  demanding  the  gold 
at  once,  and  Ranjoor  Singh  surprised  me  by  the  calm 
courtesy  with  which  he  refused. 

"Why  should  my  brother  seek  to  alter  the  terms 
of  our  bargain  ?"  he  asked. 

For  a  long  time  the  Kurd  made  no  answer,  but  sat 
thinking  for  some  excuse  that  might  deceive  us.  Then 
suddenly  he  abandoned  hope  of  argument  and  flew 
into  a  rage,  spitting  savagely  and  pouring  out  such  a 
flood  of  words  that  Abraham  could  hardly  translate 
fast  enough. 

"That  pig  you  gave  me  for  a  hostage  played  a 
trick!"  he  shouted.  "He  and  a  man  of  mine  knew 
Persian.  They  talked  together.  Then  in  the  night 
they  ran  away,  and  your  hostage  went  to  Wassmuss, 
and  has  told  him  all  the  truth  and  more  untruth  into 
the  bargain  than  ten  other  men  could  invent  in  a  year ! 
So  Wassmuss  threw  in  my  teeth  that  letter  you  gave 
me,  and  I  was  laughed  out  of  countenance  by  a  her- 


HIRA  SINGH  271 

itage  of  spawn  of  Tophet !  And  what  has  Wasmuss 
done  but  persuade  three  hundred  Kurds  of  a  tribe 
who  are  my  enemies  to  accept  this  duty  of  escort  at 
a  great  price!  And  so  your  Germans  are  gone  into 
Persia  already!  Now  give  me  the  gold  and  my 
hostages  back,  and  I  will  leave  you  to  your  own  de- 
vices !" 

It  was  an  hour  before  Ranjoor  Singh  could  calm 
him,  and  another  hour  again  before  cross-examination 
induced  him  to  tell  all  the  truth;  and  the  truth  was 
not  reassuring.  Wassmuss,  he  said,  probably  did  not 
know  yet  that  we  had  taken  the  gold,  but  the  news 
was  on  the  way,  for  spies  had  talked  in  the  night  with 
the  ten  Kurds  whom  he  left  with  us  to  be  guides  and 
to  help  us  keep  peace.  We  had  given  those  ten  a 
Turkish  rifle  each  and  various  other  plunder,  because 
they  helped  us  in  the  fight,  and  they  had  promised  ill 
return  to  hold  their  tongues.  But  a  savage  is  a  sav- 
age, and  there  is  no  controverting  it. 

"What  is  Wassmuss  likely  to  do?"  Ranjoor  Singh 
asked. 

"Do?"  said  the  Kurd.  "He  has  done!  He  has 
set  two  tribes  by  the  ears  and  sent  them  down  to  sur- 
round you  and  hem  you  in  and  starve  you  to  surren- 
der !  So  give  me  the  gold,  that  I  may  get  away  with 
it  before  a  thousand  men  come  to  prevent,  and  give 
me  back  my  hostages !" 

If  what  was  happening  now  had  taken  place  but 
a  week  before,  Ranjoor  Singh  would  have  found  him- 
self in  a  fine  fix,  for  all  except  I  would  have  there 
and  then  denounced  him  for  a  bungler,  or  a  knave. 
But  now  the  other  daffadars  who  clustered  around 


272  HIRA  SINGH 

him  and  me  said  one  to  the  other,  "Let  us  see  what 
our  sahib  makes  of  it !"  The  men  sent  word  to  know 
what  was  being  revealed  through  two  long  hours  of 
talk,  and  Chatar  Singh  went  back  to  bid  them  have 
patience. 

"Is  there  trouble?"  they  asked,  and  he  answered 
"Aye!" 

"Tell  our  sahib  we  stand  behind  him!"  they  an- 
swered, and  Chatar  Singh  brought  that  message  and 
I  think  it  did  Ranjoor  Singh's  heart  good, — not  that 
he  would  not  have  done  his  best  in  any  case. 

"You  have  lost  my  hostage,  and  I  hold  yours,"  he 
told  the  Kurd,  "so  now,  if  you  want  yours  back  you 
must  pay  whatever  price  I  name  for  them!" 

"Who  am  I  to  pay  a  price?"  the  Kurd  demanded. 
"I  have  neither  gold  nor  goods,  nor  anything  but 
three  hundred  men!" 

"Where  are  thy  men?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Within  an  hour's  ride,"  said  the  Kurd,  "watching 
for  the  men  who  come  from  Wassmuss." 

"You  shall  have  back  your  hostages,"  said  Ran- 
joor Singh,  "when  I  and  my  men  set  foot  in  Persia  I" 

"How  shall  you  reach  Persia?"  laughed  the  Kurd. 
"A  thousand  men  ride  now  to  shut  you  off!  Nay, 
give  me  the  gold  and  my  men,  and  ride  back  whence 
you  came!'* 

Then  it  was  Ranjoor  Singh's  turn  to  laugh.  "Sikhs 
who  are  facing  homeward  turn  back  for  nothing  less 
than  duty !"  he  answered.  "I  shall  fight  the  thousand 
men  that  Wassmuss  sends.  If  they  conquer  me  they 
will  take  the  gold  and  your  hostages  as  well." 

The    Kurd    looked    amazed.      Then    he    looked 


HIRA  SINGH  273 

thoughtful.  Then  acquisitive — very  acquisitive  in- 
deed. It  seemed  to  me  that  he  contemplated  fighting 
us  first,  before  the  Wassmuss  men  could  come.  But 
Ranjoor  Singh  understood  him  better.  That  Kurd 
was  no  fool — only  a  savage,  with  a  great  hunger  in 
him  to  become  powerful. 

"My  men  are  seasoned  warriors,"  said  Ranjoor 
Singh,  "and  being  men  of  our  word  first  and  last,  we 
are  good  allies.    Has  my  brother  a  suggestion?" 

"What  if  I  help  you  into  Persia?"  said  the  Kurd. 

But  Ranjoor  Singh  was  wary.  "Help  me  in  what 
way?"  he  asked,  and  the  Kurd  saw  it  was  no  use  to 
try  trickery. 

"What  if  I  and  my  men  fight  beside  you  and 
yours,  and  so  you  win  through  to  Persia?"  asked  the 
Kurd. 

"As  I  said,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "you  shall  have 
back  your  hostages  on  the  day  we  set  foot  in  Persia." 

"But  the  gold!"  said  the  Kurd.     "But  the  gold!" 

"Half  of  the  gold  you  shall  have  on  the  third  day 
after  we  reach  Persia,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh. 

Well,  sahib,  as  to  that  they  higgled  and  bargained 
for  another  hour,  Ranjoor  Singh  yielding  little  by  lit- 
tle until  at  last  the  bargain  stood  that  the  Kurd  should 
have  all  the  gold  except  one  chest  on  the  seventh  day 
after  we  reached  Persia.  Thus,  the  Kurds  would  be 
obliged  to  give  us  escort  well  on  our  way.  But  the 
bargaining  was  not  over  yet.  It  was  finally  agreed 
that  after  we  reached  Persia,  provided  the  Kurds 
helped  us  bravely  and  with  good  faith,  on  the  first 
day  we  would  give  them  back  their  hostages;  on  the 
third  day  we  would  give  them  Tugendheim,  to  trade 


274  HIRA  SINGH 

with  Wassmuss  against  the  Kurd's  brother  (thus 
keeping  Ranjoor  Singh's  promise  to  Tugendheim  to 
provide  for  him  in  the  end)  ;  on  the  fifth  day  we 
would  give  them  our  Turkish  officer  prisoners,  to 
trade  with  the  Turks  against  Kurdish  prisoners;  and 
on  the  seventh  day  we  would  give  them  the  gold  and 
leave  to  go.  We  ate  more  bread  and  salt  on  that, 
and  then  I  went  to  tell  the  men. 

But  I  scarcely  had  time  to  tell  them.  Ranjoor 
Singh  had  out  his  map  when  I  left  him,  and  he  and 
the  Kurd  were  poring  over  it,  he  tracing  with  a  fin- 
ger and  asking  swift  questions,  and  the  Kurd  with  the 
aid  of  Abraham  trying  to  understand.  Yet  I  had 
hardly  told  the  half  of  what  I  meant  to  say  when 
Ranjoor  Singh  strode  past  me,  and  the  Kurd  went 
galloping  away  between  the  boulders  to  warn  his  own 
men,  leaving  us  not  only  the  hostages  but  the  ten 
guides  also. 

"Make  ready  to  march  at  once — immediately — ek 
dumT  Ranjoor  Singh  growled  to  me  as  he  passed, 
and  from  that  minute  until  we  were  away  and  well 
among  the  hills  I  was  kept  too  busy  with  details  to 
do  much  conjecturing.  A  body  of  soldiers  with 
transport  and  prisoners,  wounded  and  sick,  need 
nearly  as  much  herding  as  a  flock  of  sheep,  even  after 
months  of  campaigning  when  each  man's  place  and 
duty  should  be  second  nature.  Yet  oh,  it  was  dif- 
ferent now.  There  was  no  need  now  to  listen  for 
whisperings  of  treason!  Now  we  knew  who  the 
traitor  had  been  all  along — ^not  Ranjoor  Singh,  who 
had  done  his  best  from  first  to  last,  but  Gooja  Singh, 


HIRA  SINGH  275 

who  had  let  no  opportunity  go  by  for  defaming  him 
and  making  trouble! 

"This  for  Gooja  Singh  when  I  set  eyes  on  him!" 
said  not  one  trooper  but  every  living  man,  licking  a 
cartridge  and  slipping  it  into  the  breech  chamber  as 
we  started. 

We  did  not  take  the  track  up  which  the  Kurdish 
chief  had  galloped,  but  the  ten  guides  led  us  by  a 
dreadful  route  round  almost  the  half  of  a  circle,  ever 
mounting  upward.  When  night  fell  we  camped  with- 
out fires  in  a  hollow  among  crags,  and  about  midnight 
when  the  moon  rose  there  was  a  challenge,  and  a  short 
parley,  and  a  Kurd  rode  in  with  a  message  from  his 
chief  for  Ranjoor  Singh.  The  message  was  verbal, 
and  had  to  be  translated  by  Abraham,  but  I  did  not 
get  to  hear  the  wording  of  it.    I  was  on  guard. 

*Tt  is  well,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh  to  me,  when  he 
went  the  rounds  and  found  me  perched  on  a  crag  like 
a  temple  minaret,  "they  are  keeping  faith.  The  Wass- 
muss  men  are  in  the  pass  below  us,  and  our  friends 
deny  them  passage.  At  dawn  there  will  be  a  fight  and 
our  friends  will  probably  give  ground.  Two  hours 
before  dawn  we  will  march,  and  come  down  behind 
the  Wassmuss  men.    Be  ready !" 

The  sahib  will  understand  now  better  what  I 
meant  by  saying  Anim  Singh  has  ears  too  big  for  his 
head.  Because  of  his  big  ears,  that  could  detect  a 
foot-fall  in  the  darkness  farther  away  than  any  of  us, 
he  had  been  sent  to  share  the  guard  with  me,  and 
now  he  came  looming  up  out  of  the  night  to  share  our 
counsels;  for  since  the  news  of  Gooja  Singh's  defec- 


276  HIRA  SINGH 

tion  there  was  no  longer  even  a  pretense  at  awkward- 
ness in  approaching  Ranjoor  Singh.  Anim  Singh 
had  been  among  the  first  to  fling  distrust  to  the  winds 
and  to  make  the  fact  evident. 

But  into  those  great  ears,  during  all  our  days  and 
weeks  and  months  of  marching,  Gooja  Singh  had 
whispered — whispered.  The  things  men  whisper  to 
each  other  are  like  deeds  done  in  the  dark — like  rats 
that  run  in  holes — put  to  shame  by  daylight.  So 
Anim  Singh  came  now,  and  Ranjoor  Singh  repeated 
to  him  what  he  had  just  told  me.  Anim  Singh 
laughed. 

"Leave  the  Kurds  to  fight  it  out  below,  then!" 
said  he.  "While  they  fight,  let  us  eat  up  distance  into 
Persia,  gold  and  all!" 

Ranjoor  Singh,  with  the  night  mist  sparkling  like 
jewels  on  his  beard,  eyed  him  in  silence  for  a  minute. 
Then: 

"I  give  thee  leave,"  he  said,  "to  take  as  many  men 
as  share  that  opinion,  and  to  bolt  for  your  skins  into 
Persia  or  any  whither!  The  rest  of  us  will  stay  and 
keep  the  regiment's  promise!" 

That  was  enough  for  Anim  Singh.  I  have  said 
he  is  a  Sikh  with  a  soldier's  heart.  He  wept,  there 
on  the  ledge,  where  we  three  leaned,  and  begged  for- 
giveness until  Ranjoor  Singh  told  him  curtly  that  for- 
giveness came  of  deeds,  not  words.  And  his  deeds 
paid  the  price  that  dawn.  He  is  a  very  good  man  with 
the  saber,  and  the  saber  he  took  from  a  Turkish  offi- 
cer was,  weight  and  heft  and  length,  the  very  image 
of  the  weapon  he  was  used  to.  Nay,  who  was  I  to 
count  the  Kurds  he  slew.  I  was  busy  with  my  own 
work,  sahib. 


HIRA  SINGH  277; 

The  fight  below  us  began  before  the  earliest  color 
of  dawn  flickered  along  the  heights.  And  though  we 
started  when  the  first  rifle-shot  gave  warning,  hiding 
our  plunder  and  mules  among  the  crags  in  charge  of 
the  Syrians,  but  taking  Tugendheim  with  us,  the  way- 
was  so  steep  and  devious  that  morning  came  and 
found  us  worrying  lest  we  come  too  late  to  help  our 
friends — even  as  once  we  had  worried  in  the  Red 
Sea! 

But  as  we  had  come  in  the  nick  of  time  before, 
even  so  now.  We  swooped  all  unexpected  on  the  rear 
of  the  Wassmuss  men,  taking  ourselves  by  surprise 
as  much  as  them,  for  we  had  thought  the  fight  yet 
miles  away.  Echoes  make  great  confusion  in  the 
mountains.  It  was  echoes  that  had  kept  the  Wass- 
muss men  from  hearing  us,  although  we  made  more 
noise  than  an  avalanche  of  fighting  animals.  Straight- 
way we  all  looked  for  Wassmuss,  and  none  found 
him,  for  the  simple  reason  that  he  was  not  there;  a 
prisoner  we  took  told  us  afterward  that  Wassmuss 
was  too  valuable  to  be  trusted  near  the  border,  where 
he  might  escape  to  his  own  folk.  There  is  no  doubt 
Wassmuss  was  prisoner  among  the  Kurds, — ^nor  any 
doubt  either  that  he  directs  all  the  uprising  and  raid- 
ing and  disaffection  in  Kurdistan  and  Persia.  As 
iRanjoor  Singh  said  of  him — a  remarkable  man,  and 
not  to  be  despised. 

Seeing  no  Wassmuss,  it  occurred  to  me  at  last  to 
listen  to  orders!  Ranjoor  Singh  was  shouting  to  me 
as  if  to  burst  his  lungs.  The  Kurds  were  fighting 
on  foot,  taking  cover  behind  boulders,  and  he  was 
bidding  me  take  my  command  and  find  their  horses. 

I  found  them,  sahib,  within  an  ace  of  being  too 


278  HIRA  SINGH 

late.  They  had  left  them  in  a  valley  bottom  with  a 
guard  of  but  twenty  or  thirty  men,  who  mistook  us 
at  first  for  Kurds,  I  suppose,  for  they  took  no  notice 
of  us.  I  have  spent  much  time  wondering  whence 
they  expected  mounted  Kurds  to  come ;  but  it  is  clear 
they  were  so  sure  of  victory  for  their  own  side  that  it 
did  not  enter  their  heads  to  suspect  us  until  our  first 
volley  dropped  about  half  of  them. 

Then  the  remainder  began  to  try  to  loose  ths 
horses  and  gallop  away,  and  some  of  them  succeeded  i 
but  we  captured  more  than  half  the  horses  and  began 
at  once  to  try  to  get  them  away  into  the  hills.  But  it 
is  no  easy  matter  to  manage  several  hundred  fright- 
ened horses  that  were  never  more  than  half  tamed 
in  any  case,  and  many  of  them  broke  away  from  us 
and  raced  after  their  friends.  Then  I  sent  a  messenger 
in  a  hurry  to  Ranjoor  Singh,  to  say  the  utmost  had 
been  attempted  and  enough  accomplished  to  serve 
his  present  purpose,  but  the  messenger  was  cut  down 
by  the  first  of  a  crowd  of  fugitive  Kurds,  who  seized 
his  reins  and  fought  among  themselves  to  get  his 
horse. 

Seeing  themselves  taken  in  the  rear,  the  Kurds  had 
begun  to  fall  back  in  disorder,  and  had  actually  burst 
through  our  mounted  ranks  in  a  wild  effort  to  get  to 
their  own  horses ;  for  like  ourselves,  the  Kurds  prefer 
to  fight  mounted  and  have  far  less  confidence  in  them- 
selves on  foot.  Ranjoor  Singh,  with  our  men,  all 
mounted,  and  our  Kurdish  friends,  were  after  them — 
although  our  friends  were  too  busy  burdening  them- 
selves with  the  rifles  and  other  belongings  of  the 
fallen  to  render  as  much  aid  as  they  ought. 


HIRA  SINGH  279 

I  left  my  horse,  and  climbed  a  rock,  and  looked 
for  half  a  minute.  Then  I  knew  what  to  do;  and  I 
wonder  whether  ever  in  the  world  was  such  a  running 
fight  before.  I  had  only  lost  one  man;  and  it  was 
quite  another  matter  driving  the  Kurds'  horses  up 
the  valley  in  the  direction  they  wished  to  take,  to  at- 
tempting to  drive  them  elsewhere.  Being  mounted 
ourselves,  we  could  keep  ahead  of  the  retreating 
Kurds  very  easily,  so  we  adopted  the  same  tactics 
again  and  again  and  again. 

First  we  drove  the  horses  helter-skelter  up  the 
valley  a  mile  or  two.  Then  we  halted,  and  hid  our 
own  horses,  and  took  cover  behind  the  rocks  to  wait 
for  the  Kurds;  and  as  they  came,  making  a  good 
running  fight  of  it,  dodging  hither  and  thither  behind 
the  boulders  to  try  to  pick  off  Ranjoor  Singh's  men, 
we  would  open  fire  on  their  rear  unexpectedly,  thus 
throwing  them  into  confusion  again, — and  again, — • 
and  again. 

We  opened  fire  always  at  too  great  distance  to  do 
much  material  damage,  I  thinking  it  more  important 
to  preserve  my  own  men's  lives  and  so  to  continue 
able  to  demoralize  the  Kurds,  and  afterward  Ranjoor 
Singh  commended  me  for  that.  But  I  was  also  acutely 
aware  of  the  risk  that  our  bullets  might  go  past  the 
Kurds  and  kill  our  own  Sikhs.  I  am  not  at  all  sure 
some  accidents  of  that  nature  did  not  happen. 

So  when  we  had  fired  at  the  Kurds  enough  to  make 
them  face  about  and  so  expose  their  rear  to  Ranjoor 
Singh,  we  would  get  to  horse  again  and  send  the 
Kurdish  horses  galloping  up  the  pass  in  front  of  us. 
^Finally,  we  lost  sight  of  most  of  the  Kurdish  horses, 


280  HIRA  SINGH 

although  we  captured  one  apiece — which  is  all  a  man 
can  manage  besides  his  own  and  a  rifle. 

By  that  time  it  was  three  in  the  afternoon  already 
and  the  pass  forked  about  a  dozen  different  ways,  so 
that  we  lost  the  Kurds  at  last,  they  scattering  to  right 
and  left  and  shooting  at  us  at  long  range  from  the 
crags  higher  up.  We  were  all  dead  beat,  and  the 
horses,  too,  so  we  rested,  the  Kurds  continuing  to  fire 
at  us,  but  doing  no  damage.     They  fired  until  dusk. 

Our  own  three  hundred  Kurdish  friends  were  not 
very  far  behind  Ranjoor  Singh,  and  I  observed  when 
they  came  up  with  us  presently  that  he  took  up  posi- 
tion down  the  pass  behind  them.  They  were  too  fond 
of  loot  to  be  trusted  between  us  and  that  gold !  They 
were  so  burdened  with  plunder  that  some  of  them 
could  scarcely  ride  their  horses.  Several  had  as  many 
as  three  rifles  each,  and  they  had  found  great  bundles 
of  food  and  blankets  where  the  enemy's  horses  had 
been  tethered.  Their  plundering  had  cost  them  dear, 
for  they  had  exposed  themselves  recklessly  to  get 
what  their  eyes  lusted  for.  They  had  lost  more  than 
fifty  men.  But  we  had  lost  more  than  twenty  killed, 
and  there  was  a  very  long  tale  of  wounded,  so  that 
Ranjoor  Singh  looked  serious  as  he  called  the  roll. 
The  Greek  doctor  had  to  work  that  night  as  if  his 
own  life  depended  on  it — as  in  fact  it  did !  We  made 
Tugendheim  help  him,  for,  like  all  German  soldiers,  he 
knew  something  of  first  aid. 

Then,  because  the  Kurds  could  not  be  trusted  on 
such  an  errand,  Ranjoor  Singh  sent  me  back  with 
fifty  men  to  bring  on  the  Syrians  and  our  mules  and 
belongings,  and  the  gold.     He  gave  me  Chatar  Singh 


HIRA  SINGH  281 

to  help,  and  glad  I  was  to  have  him.  A  brave  good 
daffadar  is  Chatar  Singh,  and  now  that  all  suspicion 
of  our  leader  was  weaned  out  of  him,  I  could  ask  for 
no  better  comrade  on  a  dark  night.  Night  did  I  say? 
That  was  a  night  like  death  itself,  when  a  man  could 
scarcely  see  his  own  hand  held  thus  before  his  face— 
cold  and  rainy  to  make  matters  worse. 

We  had  two  Kurds  to  show  us  the  way,  and,  I 
suppose  because  our  enemies  had  had  enough  of  it, 
we  were  not  fired  on  once,  going  or  coming.  Our 
train  of  mules  clattered  and  stumbled  and  our  Syrians 
kept  losing  themselves  and  yelling  to  be  found  again. 
Weary  men  and  animals  ever  make  more  noise  than 
fresh  ones ;  frightened  men  more  than  either,  and  we 
were  so  dead  weary  by  the  time  we  got  back  that  my 
horse  fell  under  me  by  Ranjoor  Singh's  side. 

Of  all  the  nights  I  ever  lived  through,  except 
those  last  we  spent  in  the  trench  in  Flanders  before 
our  surrender,  that  was  the  worst.  Hunger  and  cold 
and  fear  and  weariness  all  wrought  their  worst  with 
me;  yet  I  had  to  set  an  example  to  the  men.  My 
horse,  as  I  have  told,  fell  beside  Ranjoor  Singh;  he 
dragged  me  to  my  feet,  and  I  fell  again,  dizzy  with 
misery  and  aching  bones.  Yet  it  was  beginning  to  be 
dawn  then,  and  we  had  to  be  up  and  off  again.  Our 
dead  were  buried;  our  wounded  were  bound  up;  the 
Kurds  would  be  likely  to  begin  on  us  again  at  any 
minute ;  there  was  nothing  to  wait  there  for.  We  left 
little  fires  burning  above  the  long  grave  (for  our  men 
had  brought  all  our  dead  along  with  them,  although 
our  Kurdish  friends  left  theirs  behind  them)  and  I 
took  one  of  the  captured  horses,  and  Ranjoor  Singh 


282  HIRA  SINGH 

led  on.  I  slept  on  the  march.  Nay,  I  had  no  eyes 
for  scenery  just  then! 

After  that  the  unexpected,  amazing,  happened  as 
it  so  often  does  in  war.  We  were  at  the  mercy  of  any 
handful  who  cared  to  waylay  us,  for  the  hillsides  shut 
us  in,  and  there  was  cover  enough  among  the  boul- 
ders to  have  hidden  a  great  army.  It  was  true  we 
had  worsted  the  Wassmuss  men  utterly;  I  think  we 
slew  at  least  half  of  them,  and  doubtless  that,  and  the 
loss  of  their  horses,  must  have  taken  much  heart  out 
of  the  rest.  But  we  expected  at  least  to  be  attacked 
by  friends  of  the  men  we  had  worsted — by  mountain 
cutthroats,  thieves,  and  plunderers,  any  fifty  of  whom 
could  have  made  our  march  impossible  by  sniping  us 
from  the  flanks. 

But  nothing  happened,  and  nobody  attacked  us. 
As  we  marched  our  spirit  grew.  We  began  to  laugh 
and  make  jokes  about  the  enemy  hunting  for  lost 
horses  and  letting  us  go  free.  For  two  days  we  rode, 
and  camped,  and  slept  a  little,  and  rode  on  unmo- 
lested, climbing  ever  forward  to  where  we  could  see 
the  peaks  that  our  friendly  chief  assured  us  were  in 
Persia.  For  miles  and  miles  and  everlasting  miles  it 
seemed  the  passes  all  led  upward;  but  there  came  a 
noon  at  last  when  we  were  able  to  feel,  and  even  see 
— when  at  least  we  knew  in  our  hearts  that  the  uphill 
work  was  over.  We  could  see  other  ranges,  running 
in  other  directions,  and  mountains  with  tree-draped 
sides.  But  chiefly  it  was  our  hearts  that  told  us  we 
were  really  in  sight  of  Persia  at  last. 

Then  wounded  and  all  gathered  together,  with 
Ranjoor  Singh  in  the  midst  of  us,   and  sang  the 


HIRA  SINGH  283 

"Anand,  our  Sikh  hymn  of  joy,  our  Kurdish  friends 
standing  by  and  wondering  (not  forgetting  neverthe- 
less to  watch  for  opportunity  to  snatch  that  gold  and 
run!) 

And  there,  on  the  very  ridge  dividing  Persia  from 
Asiatic  Turkey,  it  was  given  to  us  to  understand  at 
last  a  little  of  the  why  and  wherefore  of  our  march- 
ing unmolested.  We  came  to  a  crack  in  a  rock  by 
the  wayside.  And  in  the  crack  had  been  thrust,  so 
that  it  stood  upright,  a  gnarled  tree-trunk,  carried 
from  who  knows  how  far.  And  there,  crucified  to 
the  dry  wood  was  our  daffadar  Gooja  Singh^  with 
his  flesh  all  tortured  and  torture  written  in  his  open 
eyes — ^not  very  long  dead,  for  his  flesh  was  scarcely 
cold — ^although  the  birds  had  already  begun  on  him. 
Who  could  explain  that?  We  sat  our  horses  in  a 
crowd,  and  gaped  like  fools ! 

At  last  I  said,  "Leave  him  to  the  birds  I"  but 
Ranjoor  Singh  said  "Nay!"  Ramnarain  Singh,  who 
had  ever  hated  Gooja  Singh  for  reasons  of  his  own, 
joined  his  voice  to  mine;  and  because  they  had  no 
wish  to  offend  me  the  other  daffadars  agreed.  But 
Ranjoor  Singh  rose  into  a  towering  passion  over  what 
we  said,  naming  me  and  Ramnarain  Singh  in  one 
breath  as  men  too  self-righteous  to  be  trusted! 

"What  proof  have  we  against  him  T'  he  demanded. 

"Try  him  by  court  martial!"  Ramnarain  Singh 
screwed  up  courage  to  answer.  "Call  for  witnesses 
against  him  and  hear  them!" 

"Who  can  try  a  dead  man  by  court  martial?" 
Ranjoor  Singh  thundered  back.  "He  left  us  to  go  and 
be  our  hostage,  for  our  safety — for  the  safety  of  your 


284  HIRA  SINGH 

ungrateful  skins!  He  died  a  hostage,  given  by  us  to 
savages.  They  killed  him.  Are  ye  worse  savages  than 
they?  Which  of  our  dead  lie  dishonored  anywhere? 
Have  they  not  all  had  burning  or  else  burial  ?  Are  ye 
judges  of  the  dead?  Or  are  ye  content  to  live  like 
men?  Take  him  down,  and  lay  him  out  for  burial! 
His  brother  daffadars  shall  dig  his  grave !" 

Aye,  sahib.  So  he  gave  the  order,  and  so  we 
obeyed,  saying  no  more,  but  digging  a  trench  for 
Gooja  Singh  with  bayonets,  working  two  together 
turn  and  turn  about,  I,  who  had  been  all  along  his 
enemy,  doing  the  lion's  share  of  the  work  and  think- 
ing of  the  talks  he  and  I  had  had,  and  the  disputes. 
And  here  was  the  outcome!     Aye. 

It  was  not  a  very  deep  trench  but  it  served,  and 
we  laid  him  in  it  with  his  feet  toward  India,  and  cov- 
ered him,  and  packed  the  earth  down  tight.  Then 
we  burned  on  the  grave  the  tree  to  which  he  had  been 
crucified,  and  piled  a  great  cairn  of  stone  above  him. 
There  we  left  him,  on  the  roof  of  a  great  mountain 
that  looks  down  on  Persia. 

It  was  perhaps  two  hours,  or  it  may  have  been 
three,  after  burying  Gooja  Singh  (we  rode  on  in  si- 
lence, thinking  of  him,  our  wounded  groaning  now 
and  then,  but  even  the  words  of  command  being  given 
by  sign  instead  of  speech  because  none  cared  to 
speak)  that  we  learned  the  explanation,  and  more 
with  it. 

We  found  a  good  place  to  camp,  and  proceeded  to 
make  it  defensible  and  to  gather  fuel.  Then  some  of 
the  women  belonging  to  our  Kurdish  friends  over- 
took us,  and  with  them  a  few  of  our  Kurdish  wounded 


HIRA  SINGH  285 

and  some  unwounded  ones  who  had  returned  to  glean 
again  on  the  battle-field.  These  brought  with  them 
two  prisoners  whom  we  set  in  the  midst,  and  then 
Abraham  was  set  to  work  translating  until  his  tongue 
must  have  almost  fallen  out  with  weariness.  Bit  by 
bit,  we  pieced  a  tale  together  that  had  reason  in  it  and 
so  brought  us  understanding. 

Our  first  guess  had  been  right ;  the  Turks  had  al- 
ready sent  (some  said  a  full  division)  to  wreak  ven- 
geance for  our  plundering  of  the  gold.  The  Kurds 
of  those  parts,  who  fight  among  themselves  like  wild 
beasts,  nevertheless  will  always  stand  together  to 
fight  Turks;  therefore  those  who  had  been  attacking 
us  were  now  behind  us  with  thousands  of  other  Kurds 
from  the  tribes  all  about,  waiting  to  dispute  the  passes 
with  the  common  enemy.  They  considered  us  an  in- 
significant handful,  to  be  dealt  with  later  on.  The 
women  said  the  battle  had  not  begun;  and  the  pris- 
oners bade  our  Kurds  swallow  tribal  enmity  and 
hurry  to  do  their  share!  The  chief  listened  to  them, 
saying  nothing.  Has  the  sahib  ever  watched  a  savage 
thinking  while  lust  drew  him  one  way  and  pride  an- 
other?   Truly  an  interesting  sight! 

But  the  rest  of  the  men  were  too  interested  to 
learn  the  reason  of  Gooja  Singh's  torture  and  death 
to  care  for  the  workings  of  a  Kurdish  chief's  con- 
science. They  crowded  closer  and  closer,  interrupt- 
ing with  shouted  questions  and  bidding  each  other  be 
still.  So  Ranjoor  Singh  said  a  word  to  Abraham  and 
he  changed  the  line  of  questioning.  The  truth  was 
soon  out. 

Gooja  Singh,  it  seemed,  probably  not  believing  we 


286  HIRA  SINGH 

had  one  chance  in  a  million,  decided  to  contrive  safety 
tor  himself.  So  with  one  Kurd  to  help  him,  he  es- 
caped in  the  night,  and  went  and  found  Wassmuss 
in  a  Kurdish  village  in  the  mountains.  He  told  Wass- 
muss who  we  were,  and  whence  we  were,  and  what 
we  intended.  So  Wassmuss  (who  must  be  a  very  re- 
markable man  indeed),  although  a  prisoner,  exerted 
so  much  persuasion  forthwith  that  three  hundred 
Kurds  consented  to  escort  the  party  of  Germans 
there  and  then  to  Afghanistan.  He  promised  them  I 
know  not  what  reward,  but  the  point  is  they  con- 
sented, and  within  eight  hours  of  Gooja  Singh's  ar- 
rival the  German  party  was  on  its  way. 

Then  Wassmuss  sent  the  thousand  Kurds  to  deal 
with  us ;  but,  as  I  have  told,  we  beat  them.  And  that 
made  the  Kurds  who  held  Wassmuss  prisoner  ex- 
tremely angry  with  Gooja  Singh;  so  they  made  him 
prisoner,  too.  And  then,  by  signal  and  galloper  and 
shouts  from  crag  to  crag  came  word  that  the  Turks 
were  marching  in  force  to  invade  the  mountains,  and 
instantly  they  turned  on  Gooja  Singh  and  would  have 
torn  him  in  pieces  for  being  a  spy  of  the  Turks,  sent 
on  ahead  to  prepare  the  way.  But  some  cooler  head 
than  the  rest  urged  to  put  him  to  the  torture,  and 
they  agreed. 

Whether  or  not  Gooja  Singh  declared  under  tor^ 
ture  that  we  were  Turks  we  could  not  get  to  know, 
but  it  is  certain  that  the  Kurds  decided  we  were 
Turks,  whatever  Wassmuss  swore  to  the  contrary,* 
and  doubtless  he  swore  furiously!  And  because  they 
believed  us  to  be  Turks,  they  let  us  be.  for  the  present, 
sure  that  we  would  try  to  make  our  way  back  if  they 


HIRA  SINGH  28? 

could  keep  the  main  Turkish  forces  from  regaining 
touch  with  us.  And  Gooja  Singh  chey  presently  cruci- 
fied in  a  place  where  we  would  almost  surely  see  him, 
thinking  thus  to  surprise  us  with  the  information  that 
all  was  known,  and  to  frighten  us  into  a  state  of  com- 
parative harmlessness — a  favorite  Kurdish  trick. 

That  did  not  account  for  everything.  It  did  not 
account  for  our  victory  over  Turks  in  the  hail-storm 
and  our  plunder  of  the  Turks*  camp  and  capture  of 
the  gold.  But  none  had  seen  that  raid  because  of  the 
storm,  and  the  spies  who  had  said  they  talked  with 
our  men  in  the  night  were  now  disbelieved.  Our 
presence  in  the  hills  and  Gooja  Singh's  escape  was  all 
set  down  to  Turkish  trickery ;  and  doubtless  they  did 
not  believe  we  truly  had  gold  with  us,  or  they  would 
have  detached  at  least  a  party  to  follow  us  up  and 
keep  in  touch. 

The  clearest  thing  of  all  that  the  disjointed  scraps 
of  tale  betrayed  was  that  we  were  in  luck!  If  the 
Kurds  believed  us  to  be  Turks,  they  were  likely  to 
let  us  wander  at  will,  if  only  for  the  very  humor  and 
sport  of  hunting  us  down  when  we  should  try  to 
break  back.  "No  need  to  waste  more  labor  setting 
this  camp  to  rights!"  said  I.  "We  shall  rest  a  little 
and  be  up  and  away  again!"  And  the  wounded 
groaned,  and  some  objected,  but  I  proved  right.  Ran- 
joor  Singh  was  no  man  to  study  comfort  when  oppor- 
tunity showed  itself.  We  rested  two  hours,  and  dur- 
ing those  two  hours  our  friend  the  Kurdish  chief 
made  up  his  mind,  and  he  and  Ranjoor  Singh  struck 
a  new  bargain. 

"Give  me  the  gold !"  said  he.    "Keep  the  hostages 


288  HIRA  SINGH 

and  ten  of  my  men  to  guide  you,  and  send  them  back 
when  you  are  two  days  into  Persia.  I  go  to  fight 
against  the  Turks!" 

Well,  they  bargained,  and  bargained.  Ranjoor 
Singh  offered  him  his  choice  of  a  chest  of  gold  then 
and  there,  or  four-fifths  of  the  whole  in  Persia;  and 
in  the  end  he  agreed  to  take  three  chests  of  gold  then 
and  there,  and  to  leave  us  the  hostages  and  thirty  men 
to  see  us  on  our  way.  "For,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh, 
"how  should  the  hostages  and  my  prisoners  return  to 
you  safely  otherwise?" 

So  we  kept  two  chests  of  gold,  and  found  them 
right  useful  presently.  And  we  said  good-by  to  him 
and  his  men,  and  put  out  our  own  fires  and  rode 
eastward.  And  of  the  next  few  days  there  is  noth- 
ing to  tell  except  furious  marching  and  very  little 
sleep — nor  much  to  eat  either. 

Once  we  were  well  into  Persia  we  bought  food 
right  and  left,  paying  fabulous  prices  for  it  with  gold 
from  our  looted  chests.  Here  and  there  we  traded  a 
plundered  rifle  for  a  new  horse,  sometimes  two  new 
horses.  Here  and  there  a  wounded  man  would  die 
and  we  would  burn  his  body  (for  now  there  was  fuel 
in  plenty).  Day  after  day,  night  after  night,  Ranjoor 
Singh  kept  in  the  saddle,  hunting  tirelessly  for  news 
of  the  party  of  Germans  on  ahead  of  us.  Their  track 
was  clear  as  daylight,  and  on  the  fifth  day  (or  was  it 
the  sixth)  after  we  entered  Persia  he  learned  at  last 
that  we  were  only  a  day  or  two  behind  them.  Like 
us,  they  were  in  a  hurry;  but  unlike  us,  they  had  no 
Ranjoor  Singh  to  force  the  pace  and  do  the  scouting, 


HIRA  SINGH  289 

so  that  for  all  their  long  lead  we  were  overtaking 
them. 

Like  us,  they  seemed  wary  of  the  public  eye,  for 
they  followed  lonely  routes  among  the  wooded  foot- 
hills; but  their  Kurdish  horsemen  left  a  track  no 
blind  man  could  have  missed,  and  although  they  plun- 
dered a  little  as  they  went,  they  spent  gold,  too,  like 
water,  so  that  the  villagers  were  in  a  strange  mood. 
Most  of  the  plundering  was  done  by  their  Kurdish 
escort  who,  it  seemed,  kept  returning  to  steal  the 
money  paid  by  the  Germans  for  provisions.  Some- 
times when  we  offered  gold  we  would  be  mocked. 
But  on  the  whole,  we  began  to  have  an  easy  time  of  it 
' — ^all  but  the  wounded,  who  suffered  tortures  from 
the  pace  we  held.  We  secured  some  carts  at  one 
village  and  put  our  wounded  in  them,  but  the  carts 
were  springless,  and  there  were  no  roads  at  all,  so 
.that  it  was  better  in  those  days  to  be  a  dead  man  than 
a  sick  or  wounded  one!    There  was  no  malingering} 

After  a  few  days  (I  forget  how  many,  for  who 
can  remember  all  the  days  and  distances  of  that  long 
march?)  Abraham  got  word  of  a  great  Christian  mis- 
sion station  where  thousands  of  Christians  had  sought 
safety  under  the  American  flag.  He  and  his  Syrians 
elected  to  try  their  fortune  there,  and  we  let  them  go, 
all  of  us  saluting  Abraham,  for  he  was  a  good  brave 
man,  fearful,  but  able  to  overcome  his  fear,  and  in- 
telligent far  beyond  the  ordinary.  We  let  the  Syrians 
take  their  rifles  and  some  ammunition  with  them,  be- 
cause Abraham  said  they  might  be  called  on  perhaps 
to  help  defend  the  mission. 


290  HIRA  SINGH 

Not  long  after  that,  we  let  our  Kurds  go,  giving 
up  our  Turkish  officer  prisoners  and  Tugendheim  as 
well.  We  all  knew  by  that  time  what  our  final  goal 
was,  and  Tugendheim  begged  to  be  allowed  to  go 
with  us  all  the  way.    But  Ranjoor  Singh  refused  him. 

"I  promised  you  to  the  Kurd,  and  the  Kurd  will 
trade  you  to  Wassmuss  against  his  brother,"  he  said. 
*'Tell  Wassmuss  whatever  lies  you  like,  and  make 
your  peace  with  your  own  folk  however  you  can. 
Here  is  your  paper  back." 

Tugendheim  took  the  paper.  (You  remember,  sa- 
hib, he  had  signed  a  receipt  in  conjunction  with  the 
Turkish  mate  and  captain  of  that  ship  in  which  we 
escaped  from  Stamboul.)  Well,  he  took  the  paper 
back,  and  burned  it  in  the  little  fire  by  which  1  was 
sitting  facing  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Let  me  go  with  you !"  he  urged.  "It  will  be  rope 
or  bullet  for  me  if  ever  I  get  back  to  Germany!" 

"Nevertheless,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  "I  prom- 
ised to  deliver  you  to  Wassmuss  when  we  made  you 
prisoner  in  the  first  place.  I  must  keep  my  word 
to  you !" 

"I  release  you  from  your  word  to  me!"  said  Tu- 
gendheim. 

"And  I  promised  you  to  the  Kurdish  chief." 

"The  Kurdish  chief?"  said  Tugendheim.  "What 
of  him?  What  of  it?  Why,  why,  why — ^he  is  a  sav- 
age— scarcely  human — not  to  be  weighed  in  the  scales 
against  a  civilized  man!  What  does  such  a  promise 
as  that  amount  to?"  And  he  stood  tugging  at  his 
mustaches  as  if  he  would  tear  them  out. 

"I  have  some  gold  left,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh,  when 


HIRA  SINGH  291 

he  was  sure  Tugendheim  had  no  more  to  say,  "and 
I  had  seriously  thought  of  buying  you  for  gold  from 
these  Kurds.  There  may  be  one  of  them  who  would 
take  on  himself  the  responsibility  of  speaking  for  his 
chief.  But  since  you  hold  my  given  word  so  light 
as  that  I  must  look  more  nearly  to  my  honor.  Nay, 
go  with  the  Kurds,  Sergeant  Tugendheim!" 

Tugendheim  made  a  great  wail.  He  begged  for 
this,  and  he  begged  for  that.  He  begged  us  to  give 
him  a  letter  to  Wassmuss  explaining  that  we  had 
compelled  him  by  threats  of  torture.  He  begged  for 
gold.  And  Ranjoor  Singh  gave  him  a  Httle  gold. 
Some  of  us  put  in  a  word  for  him,  for  on  that  long 
journey  he  had  told  many  a  tale  to  make  us  laugh. 
He  had  suffered  with  us.  He  had  helped  us  more 
than  a  little  by  drilling  the  Syrians,  and  often  his 
presence  with  us  had  saved  our  skins  by  convincing 
Turkish  scouts  of  our  bona  fides.  We  thought  of 
Gooja  Singh,  and  had  no  wish  that  Tugendheim 
should  meet  a  like  fate.  So,  perhaps  because  we  all 
begged  for  him,  or  perhaps  because  he  so  intended 
in  the  first  place,  Ranjoor  Singh  relented. 

'The  Persians  hereabouts,"  he  said,  "all  tell  me 
that  a  great  Russian  army  will  come  down  presently 
from  the  north.  Have  I  heard  correctly  that  you 
meditated  escape  into  Russia?" 

Tugendheim  answered,  "How  should  I  reach 
Russia?" 

"That  is  thy  affair!"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "But 
here  is  more  gold,"  and  he  counted  out  to  him  ten 
more  golden  German  coins.  "You  must  ride  back 
with  these  Kurds,  but  I  have  no  authority  over  them. 


292  HIRA  SINGH 

They  are  not  my  men.  They  seem  to  like  gold  more 
than  most  things." 

So  Tugendheim  ceased  begging  for  himself  and 
rode  away  rather  despondently  in  the  midst  of  the 
Kurds;  and  we  followed  about  a  day  and  a  half  be- 
hind the  German  party  with  their  strange  box-full  of 
machinery.  There  were  many  of  us  who  could  talk 
Persian,  and  as  we  stopped  in  the  villages  to  beg  or 
buy  curdled  milk,  and  as  we  rounded  up  the  cattle- 
herdsmen  and  the  women  by  the  wells,  we  heard  many 
strange  and  wonderful  stories  about  what  the  engine 
in  that  box  could  do.  I  observed  that  Ranjoor  Singh 
looked  merry-eyed  when  the  wildest  stories  reached 
him ;  but  we  all  began  to  reflect  on  the  disastrous  con- 
sequences of  letting  such  crafty  people  reach  Afghan- 
istan. For,  as  doubtless  the  sahib  knows,  the  amir 
of  Afghanistan  has  a  very  great  army;  and  if  he 
were  to  decide  that  the  German  side  is  after  all  the 
winning  one  he  might  make  very  much  trouble  for 
the  government  of  India. 

And  now  there  was  no  longer  any  doubt  that  the 
machine  slung  in  the  box  between  two  mules  was  a 
wireless  telegraph,  and  that  most  of  the  other  mules 
were  loaded  with  accessories.  The  tales  we  heard 
could  not  be  made  to  tally  with  any  other  explana- 
tion. And  what,  said  we,  was  to  prevent  the  Ger- 
mans in  Stamboul  from  signaling  whatever  lies  they 
could  invent  to  this  party  in  Afghanistan,  supposing 
they  should  ever  reach  the  country?  Yet  when  we 
argued  thus  with  Ranjoor  Singh,  he  laughed. 

And  then,  after  about  a  week  of  marching,  came 
Tugendheim    back   to    us,    ragged    and    thirsty    and 


HIRA  SINGH  293 

nearly  dead,  on  a  horse  more  dead  than  he.  He  had 
bought  himself  free  from  the  Kurds  with  the  gold 
Ranjoor  Singh  gave  him;  but  because  he  had  no  more 
gold  the  Persians  had  refused  to  feed  him.  "How 
should  he  find  his  way  alone  to  meet  the  Russians," 
he  said,  "whose  scouts  would  probably  shoot  him  on 
sight  in  any  case?"  So  we  laughed,  and  let  him  rest 
among  our  wounded  and  be  one  of  us, — aye,  one  of 
us;  for  who  were  we  to  turn  him  away  to  starve? 
He  had  served  us  well,  and  he  served  us  well  again. 

Has  the  sahib  heard  of  Bakhtiari  Khans?  They 
are  people  as  fierce  as  Kurds,  who  live  like  the  Kurds 
by  plundering.  The  Germans  ahead  of  us,  doubtless 
because  Persia  is  neutral  in  this  war  and  therefore 
they  had  no  conceivable  right  to  be  crossing  the  coun- 
try, chose  a  route  that  avoided  all  towns  and  cities 
of  considerable  size.  And  Persia  seems  to  have  no 
army  any  more,  so  that  there  was  no  official  opposi- 
tion. But  the  Bakhtiari  Khans  received  word  of 
what  was  doing,  and  after  that  there  were  new  prob- 
lems. But  for  the  fact  that  Tugendheim  was  with  us 
in  his  ragged  German  uniform  we  should  have  had 
more  trouble  than  we  did. 

At  first  the  Khans  were  content  with  blackmail, 
holding  up  the  Germans  at  intervals  and  demanding 
money.  But  I  suppose  that  finally  their  money  all 
gave  out,  and  then  the  Kahns  put  threats  into  prac- 
tise. But  before  actual  skirmishing  began  the  Khans 
would  come  to  us,  after  getting  money  from  the  Ger- 
mans, and  it  was  only  the  fact  that  we  had  Tugend- 
heim to  show  that  convinced  them  we  belonged  to  the 
party  ahead.    Ranjoor  Singh  claimed  that  our  transit 


294  HIRA  SINGH 

fee  had  been  paid  for  us  already,  and  the  Khans  did 
not  deny  it. 

But  they  caught  up  the  Germans  again  and  de- 
manded money  from  them  because  of  us  who  were 
following,  and  I  have  laughed  many  a  time  to  think 
of  the  predicament  that  put  them  in.  For  could  they 
deny  all  knowledge  of  us?  In  that  case  they  might 
be  denying  useful  allies  in  their  hour  of  need.  If  the 
Bakhtiari  Khans  should  annihilate  us  their  own  fate 
would  not  be  likely  to  tremble  in  the  balance  very 
long.  Yet  if  they  admitted  knowledge  of  us,  what 
might  that  not  lead  to?  And  how  was  it  possible  for 
them  to  know  really  who  we  were  in  any  case? 

Finally,  they  sent  one  of  their  Kurdish  servants 
back  to  find  us  and  ask  questions.  And  to  him  we 
showed  Tugendheim,  and  spoke  to  him  at  great 
length  in  Persian,  of  which  he  understood  very  little; 
so  that  when  he  overtook  his  own  party  again  (if  he 
ever  did,  for  the  Kahns  were  on  the  prowl  and  very 
cruel  and  savage),  they  may  have  been  more  in  the 
dark  about  us  than  ever. 

At  last  the  Bakhtiari  Khans  began  guerrilla  war- 
fare, and  the  Kurds  who  were  escorting  the  Germans 
retaliated  by  burning  and  plundering  the  villages  by 
which  they  passed — ^which  incensed  the  Khans  yet  more, 
because  they  did  not  belong  to  that  part  of  Persia  and 
had  counted  on  the  plunder  for  themselves.  From 
time  to  time  we  caught  a  Bakhtiari  Khan,  and  though 
they  spoke  poor  Persian,  some  of  us  could  understand 
them.  They  explained  that  the  Persian  government, 
being  very  weak,  made  use  of  them  to  terrorize  what- 


HIRA  SINGH  295 

ever  section  of  the  country  seemed  rebellious — surely 
a  sad  way  to  govern  a  land  1 

There  were  not  very  many  of  the  Khans.  They 
are  used  to  raiding  in  parties  of  thirty  to  fifty,  or 
perhaps  a  hundred.  I  think  there  were  not  many 
more  of  them  than  of  the  German  party  and  us  com- 
bined; and  at  that  the  Bakhtiari  Khans  were  all  di- 
vided into  independent  troops.  So  that  the  danger 
was  not  so  serious  as  it  seemed.  But  guerrilla  war- 
fare is  very  trying  to  the  nerves,  and  if  we  had  not 
had  Ranjoor  Singh  to  lead  us  we  should  have  failed 
in  the  end;  for  we  were  fighting  in  a  strange  land, 
with  no  base  to  fall  back  on  and  nothing  to  do  but 
press  forward. 

The  Kurds,  too,  who  escorted  the  Germans,  began 
to  grow  sick  of  it.  Little  parties  of  them  began  to 
pass  us  on  their  way  home,  giving  us  a  wide  berth, 
but  passing  close  enough,  nevertheless,  to  get  some 
sort  of  protection  from  our  proximity,  and  the  num- 
bers of  those  parties  grew  and  grew  until  we  laughed 
at  the  thought  of  what  anxiety  the  Germans  must  be 
suffering.  Yet  Ranjoor  Singh  grew  anxious,  too,  for 
.the  Khans  grew  bolder.  It  began  to  look  as  if  neither 
Germans  nor  we  would  ever  reach  half-way  to  the 
Afghan  border.  Ranjoor  Singh  was  the  finest  leader 
men  could  have,  but  we  were  being  sniped  eternally, 
men  falling  wounded  here  and  there  until  scarcely 
one  of  us  but  had  a  hurt  of  some  kind — to  say  noth- 
ing of  our  sick.  Men  grew  sick  from  bad  food,  and 
unaccustomed  food,  and  hard  riding  and  exposure. 
Our  little  Greek  doctor  took  sick  and  died,  and  we 


296  HIRA  SINGH 

had  nothing  but  ignorance  left  with  which  to  treat 
our  ailments.  We  began  to  be  a  sorry-looking  regi- 
ment indeed.  Nevertheless,  the  ignorance  helped,  for 
at  least  we  did  not  know  how  serious  our  wounds 
were.  I  myself  received  one  bullet  that  passed 
through  both  ankles,  and  it  is  not  likely  I  shall  ever 
walk  again  without  a  limp.  Yetuf  I  can  ride  what 
does  that  matter  so  long  as  the  government  has 
horses?  And  if  a  man  limps  in  both  feet  wherein  is 
he  the  loser?  Mine  was  a  slight  wound  compared  to 
some  of  them.  We  had  come  to  a  poor  pass,  but 
Ranjoor  Singh's  good  sense  saved  the  day  again. 

There  came  a  day  when  the  Bakhtiari  Khans  gave 
us  a  terrible  last  attention  and  then  left  us — as  it 
turned  out  for  good  (although  we  did  not  know  then 
it  was  for  good).  We  watched  their  dust  as  their 
different  troops  gathered  together  and  rode  away 
southward.  I  suppose  they  had  received  word  of 
better  opportunity  for  plunder  somewhere  else;  they 
took  little  but  hard  knocks  from  us,  and  doubtless 
any  change  was  welcome.  When  we  had  seen  the 
last  of  them,  and  had  watched  the  vultures  swoop 
down  on  a  horse  they  had  left  behind,  we  took  new 
heart  and  rode  on;  and  it  so  happened  that  the  Ger- 
mans chose  that  occasion  for  a  rest.  Their  dwindling 
Kurdish  escort  was  growing  mutinous  and  they  took 
advantage  of  a  village  with  high  mud  walls  to  get 
behind  cover  and  try  to  reestablish  confidence.  Per- 
haps they,  too,  saw  the  Bakhtiari  Khans  retiring  in 
the  distance,  for  we  were  close  behind  them  at  that 
time — so  close  that  even  with  tired  horses  we  came 
on  them  before  they  could  man  the  village  wall.    We 


HIRA  SINGH  297 

knocked  a  hole  in  the  wall  and  had  a  good  wide 
breach  established  in  no  time,  to  save  ourselves  trou- 
ble in  case  the  gates  should  prove  too  strongly  held; 
and  leaving  Anim  Singh  posted  in  the  breach  with  his 
troop,  Ranjoor  Singh  sent  a  trooper  with  a  white 
flag  to  the  main  gate. 

After  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  the  German  com- 
manding officer  rode  out,  also  with  a  white  flag,  and 
not  knowing  that  Ranjoor  Singh  knew  German,  he 
spoke  English.  (Tugendheim  had  taken  his  tunic  off 
and — all  sweaty  and  trembling  had  hidden  behind  the 
ranks  disguised  with  a  cloth  tied  about  his  head.)  I 
sat  my  horse  beside  Ranjoor  Singh,  so  I  heard  all. 

"Persia  is  neutral  territory!"  said  the  German. 

"Are  you,  then,  neutral?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Are  you?"  asked  the  German.  He  was  a  hand- 
some bullet-headed  man  with  a  bold  eye,  and  I  knew 
that  to  browbeat  or  trick  him  would  be  no  easy  matter. 
Nevertheless  he  still  had  so  many  Kurds  at  his  back 
that  I  doubted  our  ability  to  get  the  better  of  him  in  a 
fight,  considering  our  condition. 

"I  could  be  neutral  if  I  saw  fit,"  answered  Ran- 
joor Singh,  and  the  German's  eyes  glittered. 

"If  you  are  neutral,  ride  on  then!"  he  laughed. 
I  saw  his  eye  teeth.    It  was  a  mean  laugh. 

"What  are  you  doing  here?"  asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Minding  my  business,"  said  the  German  point- 
edly. 

"Then  I  will  mind  mine  and  investigate,"  said 
Ranjoor  Singh,  and  he  turned  to  me  as  if  to  give  an 
order,  at  which  the  German  changed  his  tactics  in  a 
hurry. 


298  HIRA  SINGH 

"My  business  is  simple,"  said  the  German.  "Per- 
fectly simple  and  perfectly  neutral.  We  have  a  wire- 
less installation  with  us.  It  is  all  ready  to  set  up  in 
this  village.  In  a  few  moments  we  shall  be  receiving 
messages  from  Europe,  and  then  we  shall  inform  the 
inhabitants  of  these  parts  how  matters  stand.  As 
neutrals  they  are  entitled  to  that  information."  Their 
eyes  met,  each  seeking  to  read  the  other's  mind,  and 
the  German  misunderstood,  as  most  Germans  I  have 
met  do  misunderstand. 

"Before  we  can  receive  a  message  we  shall  send 
one,"  said  the  German.  "Before  I  came  out  to  meet 
you,  I  gave  the  order  to  get  in  touch  with  Constanti- 
nople and  signal  this:  That  we  are  being  interfered 
with  and  our  lives  are  endangered  on  neutral  terri- 
tory by  troops  belonging  to  British  India,  and  there- 
fore that  all  British  Indian  prisoners-of-war  in  Ger- 
many should  be  made  hostages  for  our  safety.  That 
means,"  he  went  on,  "that  unless  we  signal  every  day 
that  all  is  well,  a  number  of  your  countrymen  in 
Germany  corresponding  to  the  number  of  my  party 
will  be  lined  up  against  a  wall  and  shot." 

"So  that  message  has  been  sent?"  asked  Ranjoor 
Singh. 

"Yes,"  said  the  German. 

"Then  send  this  message  also,"  said  Ranjoor 
Singh:  "That  the  end  has  certainly  come.  Then 
close  up  your  machine  because  unless  you  wish  to 
fight  for  your  existence  there  will  be  no  more  mes- 
sages sent  or  received  by  you  between  here  and 
Afghanistan." 

I   thought  that  a   strange  message   for    Ranjoor 


HIRA  SINGH  299 

Singh  to  bid  him  send.  I  did  not  believe  that  one  of 
us,  however  weary,  was  willing  to  accept  relief  at 
the  price  of  our  friends'  lives.  Nevertheless,  I  said 
nothing,  having  learned  it  is  not  wise  to  draw  too 
swift  conclusions  when  Ranjoor  Singh  directs  the 
strategy. 

But  the  German  evidently  thought  so,  too,  for  his 
eyes  looked  startled,  and  I  took  comfort  from  that. 

"I  understand  you  wish  to  reach  Afghanistan?" 
asked  Ranjoor  Singh. 

*'That  is  our  eventual  destination,"  said  the  Ger- 
man. 

"Very  well,"  said  Ranjoor  Singh.  "Pack  up  your 
machine.  Then  I  will  permit  your  journey  to  the 
Afghan  border,  unhampered  by  me,  on  two  condi- 
tions." 

"What  two  conditions?"  asked  the  German. 

"That  your  machine  shall  remain  packed  up  until 
you  reach  Afghanistan,  and  that  your  doctor  shall 
divide  his  services  until  then  equally  between  your 
men  and  mine." 

"And  after  that,  what?"  asked  the  German. 

"I  have  nothing  to  do  with  Afghanistan,"  said 
Ranjoor  Singh.  "Keep  the  bargain  and  you  are  free 
as  far  as  I  am  concerned  to  do  what  you  like  when 
you  get  there." 

So  we  had  a  doctor  again  at  last,  for  the  German 
agreed  to  the  terms.  Not  one  of  us  but  needed  med- 
ical aid,  and  the  men  were  too  glad  to  have  their  hurts 
attended,  to  ask  very  many  questions;  but  they  were 
certainly  surprised,  and  suspicious  of  the  new  ar- 
rangement, and  I  did  not  dare  tell  them  what  I  had 


300  HIRA  SINGH 

overheard  for  fear  lest  suspicion  of  Ranjoor  Singh 
be  reawakened.  I  refused  even  to  tell  the  other  daf- 
fadars,  which  caused  some  slight  estrangement  be- 
tween them  and  me.  However,  Ranjoor  Singh  was 
as  conscious  of  that  risk  as  I,  and  during  all  the  rest 
of  the  long  march  he  kept  their  camp  and  ours,  their 
column  and  ours  half  an  hour's  ride  apart — some- 
times even  farther — sometimes  half  a  day  apart,  to 
the  disgust-  of  the  doctor,  who  had  that  much  more 
trouble,  but  with  the  result  of  preventing  greater 
friction. 

To  tell  of  all  that  journey  across  Persia  would  be 
but  to  remember  weariness — ^weariness  of  horse  and 
men.  Sometimes  we  were  attacked;  more  often  we 
were  run  away  from.  We  grew  sick,  our  wounds 
festered  and  pur  hearts  ached.  Horses  died  and  the 
vultures  ate  them.  Men  died,  and  we  buried  or 
burned  their  bodies  according  or  not  as  we  had  fuel. 
We  dried,  as  it  were,  like  the  bone-dry  trail  we  fol- 
lowed, and  only  Ranjoor  Singh's  heart  was  stout; 
only  he  was  brave;  only  he  had  a  song  on  his  lips. 
He  coaxed  us,  and  cheered  us,  and  rallied  us.  The 
strength  of  the  regiment  was  but  his  strength,  and  as 
for  the  other  party,  who  hung  on  our  flank,  or  lagged 
behind  us  or  preceded  us  by  half  a  day,  their  Kurds 
deserted  by  fives  and  tens  until  there  was  scarcely  a 
corporal's  guard  remaining. 

They  must  have  been  as  weary  as  we,  and  as  glad 
as  we  when  at  last  at  the  end  of  a  long  drawn  after- 
noon, we  saw  an  Afghan  sentry. 

Has  the  sahib  ever  seen  an  Afghan  sentry? 

This  one  was  gray  and  old  and  sat  on  his  gray 


HIRA  SINGH  301 

pony  like  a  huddled  ape  with  a  tattered  umbrella  over 
his  shoulder  and  his  rifle  across  his  knees.  He  looked 
less  like  a  sentry  than  like  a  dead  man  dug  up  and 
set  there  to  scare  the  birds  away.  But  he  was  effi- 
cient, no  doubt  of  that.  He  had  seen  us  and  passed 
on  word  of  us  the  minute  we  showed  on  the  sky-line, 
and  the  hills  all  about  him  were  full  of  armed  men 
waiting  to  give  us  a  hot  reception  if  necessary  and 
to  bar  farther  progress  in  any  case. 

So  there  we  had  to  camp,  just  over  the  Afghan 
border,  but  farther  apart  from  the  Germans  than 
ever — ^two,  three  miles  apart,  for  now  it  became  Ran- 
joor  Singh's  policy  to  know  nothing  whatever  about 
them.  The  Afghans  provided  us  with  rations  and 
sent  us  one  of  their  own  doctors  dressed  in  the  uni- 
form of  a  tram-car  conductor,  and  their  highest  offi- 
cial in  those  parts,  whose  rank  I  could  not  guess  be- 
cause he  was  arrayed  in  the  costume  of  a  city  of  Lon- 
don policeman,  asked  innumerable  questions,  first  of 
Ranjoor  Singh  and  then  of  each  of  us  individually. 
But  we  conferred  together,  and  stuck  to  one  point, 
that  we  knew  nothing.  Ranjoor  Singh  did  not  know 
better  than  we.  The  more  he  asked  the  more  dumb 
we  became  until,  perhaps  with  a  view  to  loosing  our 
tongues,  the  Afghans  who  mingled  among  us  in  the 
camp  began  telling  what  the  Germans  were  saying 
and  doing  on  the  rise  two  miles  away. 

They  had  their  machine  set  up,  said  they.  They 
were  receiving  messages,  said  they,  with  this  won- 
derful wireless  telegraph  of  theirs.  They  kept  re- 
ceiving hourly  news  of  disasters  to  the  Allied  arms  by 
land  and  sea.    And  we  were  fearfully  disturbed  about 


302  HIRA  SINGH 

all  this,  because  we  knew  how  important  it  must  be 
for  India's  safety  that  Afghanistan  continue  neutral. 
And  why  should  such  savages  continue  neutral  if  they 
were  once  persuaded  that  the  winning  side  was  that 
of  the  Central  Powers?  Nevertheless,  Ranjoor  Singh 
continued  to  grow  more  and  more  contented,  and  I 
wondered.     Some  of  the  men  began  to  murmur. 

In  that  camp  we  remained,  if  I  rightly  remember, 
six  days.  And  then  came  word  from  HabibuUah 
Kahn,  the  Afghan  amir,  that  we  might  draw  nearer 
Khabul.  So,  keeping  our  distance  from  the  Germans, 
we  helped  one  another  into  the  saddle  (so  weak  most 
of  us  were  by  that  time)  and  went  forward  three 
days'  march.  Then  we  camped  again,  much  closer 
to  the  Germans  this  time,  in  fact,  almost  within 
shouting  distance;  and  they  again  set  up  their  ma- 
chine, causing  sparks  to  crackle  from  the  wires  of  a 
telescopic  tower  they  raised,  to  the  very  great  con- 
cern of  the  Afghans  who  were  in  and  out  of  both 
camps  all  day  long.  One  message  that  an  Afghan  told 
me  the  Germans  had  received,  was  that  the  British 
fleet  was  all  sunk  and  Paris  taken.  But  that  sort  of 
message  seemed  to  me  familiar,  so  that  I  was  not  so 
depressed  by  it  as  my  Afghan  informant  had  hoped. 
He  went  off  to  procure  yet  more  appalling  news  to 
bring  me,  and  no  doubt  was  accommodated.  I  should 
have  had  burning  ears,  but  that  about  that  time,  their 
amir  came,  HabibuUah  Kahn,  looking  like  a  Euro- 
pean in  his  neatly  fitting  clothes,  but  surrounded  by 
a  staff  of  officers  dressed  in  greater  variety  of  uni- 
forms than  one  would  have  believed  to  exist.    He  had 


HIRA  SINGH  303 

brought  with  him  his  engineers  to  view  this  wonder- 
ful machine,  but  before  approaching  either  camp — 
perhaps  to  show  impartiaUty — he  sent  for  the  Ger- 
man chief  and  one,  and  for  Ranjoor  Singh  and  one. 
So,  since  the  German  took  his  doctor,  Ranjoor  Singh 
took  me,  he  and  I  both  riding,  and  the  amir  gra- 
ciously excusing  me  from  dismounting  when  I  had 
made  him  my  salaam  and  he  had  learned  the  nature 
of  the  wound. 

After  some  talk,  the  amir  asked  us  bluntly 
whence  we  came  and  what  our  business  might  be,  and 
Ranjoor  Singh  answered  him  we  were  escaped  pris- 
oners of  war.  Then  he  turned  on  the  German,  and 
the  German  told  him  that  because  the  British  had 
seen  fit  to  cut  off  Afghanistan  from  all  true  news  of 
what  was  happening  in  the  world  outside,  therefore 
the  German  government,  knowing  well  the  open  mind 
and  bravery  and  wisdom  of  the  amir  and  his  sub- 
jects, had  sent  himself  at  very  great  trouble  and  ex- 
pense to  receive  true  messages  from  Europe  and  so 
acquaint  with  the  true  state  of  affairs  a  ruler  and 
people  with  whom  Germany  desired  before  all  things 
to  be  on  friendly  terms. 

After  that  we  all  went  down  in  a  body,  perhaps 
a  hundred  men,  with  the  amir  at  our  head,  to  the 
German  camp;  and  there  the  German  and  his  offi- 
cers displayed  the  machine  to  the  amir,  who,  with 
a  dozen  of  his  staff  around  him,  appeared  mojre 
amused  than  astonished. 

So  the  Germans  set  their  machine  in  motion.  The 
sparks  made  much  crackling  from  the  wires,  at  which 


304  HIRA  SINGH 

the  amir  laughed  aloud.  Presently  the  German 
chief  read  off  a  message  from  Berlin,  conveying  the 
kaiser's  compliments  to  his  highness,  the  amir. 

"Is  that  message  from  Berlin?"  the  amir  asked, 
and  I  thought  I  heard  one  of  his  officers  chuckle. 

"Yes,  Your  Highness,"  said  the  German  officer. 

"Is  it  not  relayed  from  anywhere?"  the  amir 
asked,  and  the  German  stared  at  him  swiftly — thus, 
as  if  for  the  first  time  his  own  suspicion  were  aroused. 

"From  Stamboul,  Your  Highness — relayed  from 
Stamboul,"  he  said,  as  one  who  makes  concessions. 

The  amir  chuckled  softly  to  himself  and  smiled. 

"These  are  my  engineers,"  said  he,  "all  college 
trained.  They  tell  me  our  wireless  installation  at 
Khabul,  which  connects  us  through  Simla  with  Cal- 
cutta and  the  world  beyond,  is  a  very  good  one,  yet 
it  will  only  reach  to  Simla,  although  I  should  say  it 
is  a  hundred  times  as  large  as  yours,  and  although 
we  have  an  enormous  dynamo  to  give  the  energy  as 
against  your  box  of  batteries." 

The  Germans,  who  were  clustered  all  about  their 
chief,  kept  straight  faces,  but  their  eyes  popped  round 
and  their  mouths  grew  stiff  with  the  effort  to  sup- 
press emotion. 

"This,  Your  Highness,  is  the  last  new  invention," 
said  the  German  chief. 

"Then  my  engineers  shall  look  at  it,"  said  the 
amir,  "for  we  wish  to  keep  abreast  of  the  inventions. 
As  you  remarked  just  now,  we  are  a  little  shut  off 
from  the  world.  We  must  not  let  slip  such  oppor- 
tunities for  education."  And  then  and  there  he  made 
his  engineers  go  forward  to  inspect  everything,  he 


HIRA  SINGH  305 

scarce  concealing  his  merriment;  and  the  Germans 
stood  aside,  looking  like  thieves  caught  in  the  act 
while  the  workings  were  disclosed  of  such  a  wireless 
apparatus  as  might  serve  to  teach  beginners. 

*lt  might  serve  perhaps  between  one  village  and 
the  next,  while  the  batteries  persisted,"  they  said,  re- 
porting to  the  amir  presently.  The  amir  laughed, 
but  I  thought  he  looked  puzzled — perplexed,  rather 
than  displeased.    He  turned  to  Ranjoor  Singh: 

"And  you  are  a  liar,  too?"  he  asked. 

"Nay,  Your  Royal  Highness,  I  speak  truth,"  said 
Ranjoor  Singh,  saluting  him  in  military  manner. 

"Then  what  do  you  wish?"  asked  the  amir.  "Do 
you  wish  to  be  interned,  seeing  this  is  neutral  soil  on 
which  you  trespass?" 

"Nay,  Your  Royal  Highness,"  answered  Ranjoor 
Singh,  with  a  curt  laugh,  "we  have  had  enough  of 
prison  camps." 

"Then  what  shall  be  done  with  you?"  the  amir 
asked.  "Here  are  men  from  both  sides,  and  how 
shall  I  be  neutral?" 

The  German  chief  stepped  forward  and  saluted. 

"Your  Royal  Highness,  we  desire  to  be  interned," 
he  said.     But  the  amir  glowered  savagely. 

"Peace!"  said  he.  "I  asked  you  nothing,  one 
string  of  lies  was  enough!  I  asked  thee  a  question," 
he  said,  turning  again  to  Ranjoor  Singh. 

"Since  Your  Royal  Highness  asks,"  said  Ranjoor 
Singh,  "it  would  be  a  neutral  act  to  let  us  each  leave 
your  dominions  by  whichever  road  we  will !" 

The  amir  laughed  and  turned  to  his  attendants,  who 
laughed  with  him. 


306  HIRA  SINGH 

"That  is  good,"  said  he.  "So  let  it  be.  It  is  an 
order!" 

So  it  came  about,  sahib,  that  the  Germans  and 
ourselves  were  ordered  hotfoot  out  of  the  amir's 
country.  But  whereas  there  was  only  one  way  the 
Germans  could  go,  viz,  back  into  Persia,  there  to  help 
themselves  as  best  they  could,  the  road  Ranjoor  Singh 
chose  was  forward  to  the  Khyber  Pass,  and  so  down 
into  India. 

Aye,  sahib,  down  into  India !  It  was  a  long  road, 
but  the  Afghans  were  very  kind  to  us,  providing  us 
with  food  and  blankets  and  giving  some  of  us  new 
horses  for  our  weary  ones,  and  so  we  came  at  last  to 
Landi  Kotal  at  the  head  of  the  Khyber,  where  a  long- 
legged  English  sahib  heard  our  story  and  said  "Sha- 
bash!"  to  Ranjoor  Singh — that  means  *'Well  done!" 
And  so  we  marched  down  the  Khyber,  they  signaling 
ahead  that  we  were  coming.  We  slept  at  Ali  Mas  jib 
because  neither  horses  nor  men  could  move  another 
yard,  but  at  dawn  next  day  we  were  off  again.  And 
because  they  had  notice  of  our  coming,  they  turned  out 
the  troops,  a  division  strong,  to  greet  us,  and  we  took 
the  salute  of  a  whole  division  as  we  had  once  taken  the 
salute  of  two  in  Flanders,  Ranjoor  Singh  sitting  his 
charger  like  a  graven  image,  and  we — one  hundred 
three-and-thirty  men  and  the  prisoner  Tugendheim, 
who  had  left  India  eight  hundred  strong — reeling  in 
the  saddle  from  sickness  and  fatigue  while  a  roar 
went  up  in  Khyber  throat  such  as  I  scarcely  hope  to 
hear  again  before  I  die.  Once  in  a  lifetime,  sahib, 
once  is  enough.  They  had  their  bands  with  them. 
The  same  tune  burst  on  our  ears  that  had  greeted  us 


HIRA  SINGH  307 

that  first  night  of  our  charge  in  Flanders,  and  we — 
great  bearded  men — we  wept  like  little  ones.  They 
played  It  Is  a  Long,  Long  Way  to  Tipperary. 

Then  because  we  were  cavalry  and  entitled  to  the 
same,  they  gave  us  Bonnie  Dundee  and  the  horses 
cantered  to  it ;  but  some  of  us  rolled  from  the  saddle 
in  sheer  weakness.  Then  we  halted  in  something  like 
a  line,  and  a  general  rode  up  to  shake  hands  with 
Ranjoor  Singh  and  to  say  things  in  our  tongue  that 
may  not  be  repeated,  for  they  were  words  from  heart 
to  heart.  And  I  remember  little  more,  for  I,  too, 
swooned  and  fell  from  the  saddle. 

******* 

The  shadows  darkened  and  grew  one  into  an- 
other. Hira  Singh  sat  drawing  silently  in  the  dust, 
with  his  injured  feet  stretched  out  in  front  of  him. 
A  monkey  in  the  giant  tree  above  us  shook  down  a 
little  shower  of  twigs  and  dirt.  A  trumpet  blared. 
There  began  much  business  of  closing  tents  and  re- 
ducing the  camp  to  superhuman  tidiness. 

"So,  sahib,"  he  said  at  last,  "they  come  to  carry 
me  in.  It  is  time  my  tale  is  ended.  Ranjoor  Singh 
they  have  made  bahadur.  God  grant  him  his  desire! 
May  my  son  be  such  a  man  as  he,  when  his  day 
comes. 

"Me!  They  say  I  shall  be  made  commissioned 
officer — the  law  is  changed  since  this  great  war  began. 
Yet  what  did  I  do  compared  to  what  Ranjoor  Singh 
did?  Each  is  his  own  witness  and  God  alone  is  judge. 
Does  the  sahib  know  what  this  war  is  all  about? 

"I  believe  no  two  men  fight  for  the  same  thing. 
It  is  a  war  in  each  man's  heart,  each  man  fighting  as 


308  HIRA  SINGH 

the  spirit  moves  him.  So,  they  come  for  me.  Sa- 
laam, sahib.  Bohut  salaam.  May  God  grant  the 
sahib  peace.  Peace  to  the  sahib's  grandsons  and 
great-grandsons.  With  each  arm  thus  around  a  troop- 
er's neck  will  the  sahib  graciously  excuse  me  from 
saluting?" 


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